Sukhu Counters BJP Claims, Sparks Debate with Unexpected Praise for Bindal
The political temperature in Himachal Pradesh has risen sharply following the announcement of results for the four Municipal Corporations and Panchayat elections. A fresh war of words has erupted between the ruling Congress and the BJP, with both sides trying to claim the upper hand.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, addressing a press conference in Shimla, took direct aim at the BJP’s interpretation of the results. He questioned the opposition’s claims and accused it of misrepresenting the ground reality. However, in an interesting twist, Sukhu also ended up praising BJP state president Rajiv Bindal—something that has triggered new conversations in political circles.
“Bindal Faction Performed Best in Solan”
While discussing the Solan results, the Chief Minister highlighted internal divisions within the BJP, saying the party appears fragmented into multiple factions. He pointed out that among these, Rajiv Bindal’s group performed the best in Solan.
Sukhu stressed that while winning and losing are part of the democratic process, exaggerating victories or making false claims is misleading. He also took a swipe at former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, recalling that the BJP had earlier accused the government of delaying elections. According to Sukhu, the government had already committed in the Assembly that polls would be held before May 31. He now accused Jai Ram of shying away from the results.
“Urban Polls Don’t Reflect Full State Mood”
The Chief Minister firmly rejected the BJP’s attempt to project the Municipal Corporation results as a reflection of the entire state’s sentiment. He argued that these elections are localized in nature and heavily influenced by the popularity and image of local leaders and MLAs.
Giving examples, Sukhu said BJP’s performance in Mandi was largely due to the influence of Anil Sharma, while in Dharamshala, the local MLA’s presence played a significant role. He emphasized that such results cannot be interpreted as a statewide trend.
At the same time, he claimed that Congress-backed candidates performed strongly in the Panchayati Raj elections and expressed confidence that the upcoming district council results would tilt in the party’s favour.
Congress Claims Strong Showing in Rural Polls
Highlighting the party’s performance at the grassroots level, Sukhu said that Congress-supported candidates have secured a large number of victories in Panchayati Raj institutions. He claimed that around 2,400 Pradhans and 2,300 Deputy Pradhans aligned with Congress have won across the state.
According to him, this success reflects public support for the government’s work, including efforts to strengthen the rural economy, improve education and healthcare, and tackle the issue of drug abuse.
Confident about the final outcome, Sukhu said that once all results, including district councils, are fully declared, the BJP’s narrative will be proven wrong and the complete picture will favour the Congress.
