Shimla: Leader of the opposition in Himachal Pradesh assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, on Monday accused the Congress govt of pushing the state into financial mismanagement, alleging that successive borrowings and closure of govt institutions had stalled Himachal’s development.Addressing a felicitation ceremony for newly elected panchayati raj representatives and a BJP workers’ conference at Nogli in the Rampur assembly constituency of Shimla district, Thakur said the Congress govt had become obsessed with closures and loans instead of development.The former chief minister alleged that more than 2,000 govt institutions, opened in the public interest by the previous BJP govt, were shut down after Congress assumed power in 2022.He also accused chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of favouring his home constituency of Nadaun and his wife Kamlesh Thakur’s Dehra constituency, while neglecting the remaining 66 assembly constituencies of the state.Thakur said if voted to power, BJP govt would review all anti-people decisions and reopen closed institutions. He promised priority attention to Rampur’s stalled development projects and basic infrastructure, including roads, education and healthcare.Attacking the Congress leadership, Thakur further said derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s late father reflected the party’s declining political standards.He attributed the alleged remarks to frustration over repeated failed attempts to re-launch Rahul Gandhi and claimed the BJP would return to power in Himachal with a massive majority in 2027.Expressing confidence about the party’s prospects in Rampur, he said the large turnout at the programme reflected growing public support for the party.In a boost to the party’s organisation, members of 60 Mahila Mandals joined the BJP during the event. Welcoming them, Thakur said women’s support would strengthen the party’s commitment to good governance and development.
