BJP won’t be able to form govt in Himachal with disqualified MLAs: Sukhvinder Sukhu

Dharamsala, March 6

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during a visit to Kangra today launched a scathing attack on the BJP. Sukhu, while addressing a public rally in the Nagrota Bagwan Assembly constituency represented by Congress MLA RS Bali, said, “The BJP is trying to topple the state government with the help of six rebel Congress MLAs. However, I am prepared for a fight. The BJP will not succeed in forming government in the state with the help of the six rebel MLAs. The Congress government will last its full five-year term.”

He criticised the rebel MLAs saying that they might be having differences with him but they should not have deserted the party. While referring to Dharamsala MLA Sudhir Sharma, he said that an MLA, who had been a minister in the previous Congress government, had rebelled just because he was not made minister this time.

“I did not get a ministerial berth in the previous Congress government though I had served at various senior positions in the party. I did not rebel against the party. Sometimes it is not possible for the party to give a ministerial berth to every MLA,” he added.

Bali, who managed the rally amid the current crisis in the government, has emerged as a strong aide of the Chief Minister in politically-sensitive Kangra district. The rally was in fact a show of strength by Sukhu.

Bali said, “During the 14-month rule of the Congress government, the Chief Minister has worked tirelessly for the people of the state. He has implemented the old pension scheme (OPS) for government employees covered under the new pension scheme (NPS). During the natural disaster, the Chief Minister led from the front and reached out the affected people. The compensation to the people affected by the monsoon fury have been enhanced significantly. The Chief Minister has launched a futuristic scheme to make Himachal self-reliant.”

Most of the Congress MLAs from Kangra, including Sanjay Rattan (Jawalamukhi), Malender Rajan (Indora), Kewal Singh Pathania (Shahpur), Ahsish Butail (Palampur) and Sunder Singh Thakur (Kullu) attended the rally. In the Dehra area, HPCC treasurer Rajesh Sharma attended the Chief Minister’s programme. Sharma had unsuccessfully contested the last Assembly elections from Dehra.