Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said the outcome of the Urban Local Body (ULB) elections, though not fought on party symbols, clearly showed that the people of Himachal Pradesh had rejected the BJP for failing to safeguard the interests of the state before the Narendra Modi-led Central Government.
Interacting with mediapersons here, Sukhu said the BJP’s inability to protect Himachal’s financial interests was reflected in the poll verdict. He questioned why the people of the state should support the BJP when the Centre had stopped the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), failed to release the Rs 1,500 crore assistance announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and curtailed funds under the MNREGA scheme.
The Chief Minister claimed that Congress-backed candidates had performed strongly in the civic polls, winning in more than 25 urban local bodies, while the BJP secured a majority in only 16 bodies. However, he maintained that the results of the 2027 Assembly elections would ultimately depend on the performance of the Congress government during the remaining one-and-a-half years of its tenure.
Sukhu described the mandate as an endorsement of the state government’s policies aimed at strengthening the rural economy and benefiting farmers. He said reforms initiated in the education, tourism and health sectors had also contributed to the positive response received by Congress-supported candidates.
Launching a sharp attack on the BJP, Sukhu accused the opposition party of spreading misinformation regarding the alleged imposition of cess on petrol and diesel by the state government. He alleged that the BJP’s social media machinery was deliberately running false campaigns to mislead people.
Clarifying the issue, the Chief Minister said the state government had only amended an existing law to create a provision for levying a cess of up to Rs 5 on petrol and diesel for the welfare of widows and orphaned children, but the provision had not been implemented so far. Despite this, the BJP falsely accused the government of imposing the cess, he alleged.
Sukhu further criticised the Centre for increasing petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3.90 per litre, saying the hike would fuel inflation and adversely impact common people. He said small dhaba owners were among the worst affected as they were already burdened with paying nearly Rs 1,000 extra for commercial LPG cylinders.
Earlier in the day, Sukhu paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary at Sadbhawana Chowk in Chhota Shimla.
