BJP making false claims of victory in Panchayat elections, Congress receiving massive support
Health Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi have said that the Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur has still not recovered from the heavy defeat his party suffered in the Assembly elections around three and a half years ago. They said this is why he continues to make baseless statements in the media in an attempt to remain in the headlines.
The Ministers in a joint statement issued today said that the Leader of the Opposition is trying to mislead people about the results of the recent Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections. They said that these elections were not contested on party symbols and that the results clearly showed the poor performance of candidates supported by the BJP.
They further said that BJP leaders were divided into several groups and were busy competing against one another. Many BJP leaders were making media statements to maintain their political relevance and protect their positions within the party.
The Ministers said that the state government has taken several transformative initiatives through its welfare policies and schemes and that the positive impacts of these measures were visible on the ground. They said that BJP leaders were unable to accept the growing popularity of the Congress government and therefore continue to make unfounded allegations. They said that the state government’s achievements were being recognised and appreciated at the national level. They highlighted progress in the education and healthcare sectors and said that Himachal Pradesh is moving from being among the best-performing states to becoming one of the very best.
They said that the popularity of the government is making BJP leaders uneasy because they are already worried about facing defeat in the next Assembly elections.
The Ministers said that the present Congress government believes in delivering results rather than relying on slogans and political rhetoric. They said that BJP-led Central Government had discontinued support for important welfare programmes such as MGNREGA, affecting thousands of poor rural families. They said the Congress government has launched several welfare schemes to improve the economic condition and self-reliance of poor families.
They said that the welfare of poor farmers and labourers has always been a top priority for the Congress government.
They said that under the present state government’s regime the state’s per capita income has risen to Rs. 2.83 lakh, which is around Rs 64,000 higher than the national average. They said that households with two electricity meters are receiving up to 125 units of free electricity, while extremely poor families will receive up to 300 units free of charge.
They further said that annual financial assistance worth Rs. 8,000-10,000 crore previously received by Himachal Pradesh under RDG had been stopped. Despite this, they said the state government is working towards making Himachal Pradesh financially self-reliant through strict fiscal discipline.
The Ministers said that the results of the Panchayati Raj and Municipal Corporation elections would expose what they claim to be the BJP’s unrealistic claims. They said that BJP policies have not served the interests of Himachal Pradesh and that public welfare was not a priority during its tenure in government.
Both the Ministers said that the present state government has focused on public service as part of its policy of Vyavastha Parivartan. They said that important policy changes have been introduced, new laws have been enacted and all the doors for corruption have been closed.
They said that the people of Himachal Pradesh are fully aware of the false propaganda being spread BYP Leaders and advised the Leader of the Opposition to focus on issues concerning the state’s welfare, which would be in his own best interests also.
