Himachal Pradesh election is BJP-Cong battle, accept challenge: CM to HT - Hindustan Times
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Himachal Pradesh election is BJP-Cong battle, accept challenge: CM to HT

Oct 27, 2022 03:16 PM IST

Thakur said two days are left for the withdrawal of nominations and he hopes they will be able to convince some of the rebels to withdraw

Ahead of the assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, chief minister Jairam Thakur spoke to HT in his home district of Mandi on ticket distribution, Congress as the principal challenger, etc. Edited excerpts:

Jairam Thakur (HT PHOTO)
Jairam Thakur (HT PHOTO)

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing rebellion in as many as 22 of 68 assembly constituencies. How are you trying to quell it?

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The party has become bigger and the aspirations of our leaders have also become big. Many leaders demanded tickets but now we have to follow what the party has decided. We are in touch with rebel candidates and trying to convince them. Two days are left for the withdrawal of nominations and I hope we will be able to convince some of them. We are getting some success. Let us wait and watch.

What will be the impact of rebellion and what action will be taken if rebels do not withdraw?

Rebels are in both Congress and BJP, though the problem with us may appear bigger. We will take disciplinary action against those who do not withdraw.

How big is the restoration of the old pension scheme an electoral issue?

Employees in Himachal are in large numbers and play a significant role in politics and development. We did a lot for them and they acknowledge that. Virbhadra Singh’s Congress government stopped the scheme in 2003. He could have refused like West Bengal. Himachal was the first state to implement the new pension scheme. This raises a question mark over Congress’s intention and wisdom. Virbhadra Singh came back to power in 2012 and never restored the scheme. Now after 20 years, Congress is using it for political reasons, which is not correct.

The old scheme cannot be implemented without the Centre’s financial help. It is not possible even for Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. I saw chief ministers of these two states urging Prime Minister for financial help to implement the old pension scheme saying it cannot be implemented without the Centre’s help. Issuing a notification and giving pension are two different issues. If any solution to the pension issue is found, it would be by the BJP. Congress will not come back to power for decades.

How big are inflation and unemployment issues?

These are global issues and have been there in all elections. These are issues but people understand that they are not a creation of the present government. Congress is raising them and may have some impact. We are telling people about the development BJP has done and the response is good.

Is development an electoral issue?

Our development work is clearly visible. We have shown that our work is much more than all previous Congress governments. We have built 5,000 km of roads compared to the average of 2,500 km in the same periods earlier, which is a record. In 75 years, only 750000 homes were provided with drinking water. We provided water to 850000 homes in three years. Despite that development sometimes is not a big election issue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has contributed a lot and has given medical colleges, the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Atal Tunnel to the state. Several big projects came to Himachal because of him.

There is a perception that Congress is trying to garner sympathy votes in the name of the late Virbhadra Singh...

As of today, this clearly shows Congress does not have state leaders. There are only regional leaders and that is why no one is being projected. This really saddens me. This shows Congress’s failure as they do not have leadership after him [Virbhadra Singh]. We have a long list of leaders. In Himachal, people have a real emotional connection with the Prime Minister, who considers the state his second home.

The contest is between the BJP and Congress. We accept the Congress challenge and are confident of your win

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Chetan Chauhan is National Affairs Editor. A journalist for over two decades, he has written extensively on social sector and politics with special focus on environment and political economy.

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