Bias against Kangra, CUHP will be key poll planks: Rajiv Bharadwaj

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, March 27

BJP candidate from Kangra parliamentary constituency Rajiv Bharadwaj said that he would be seeking votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bias against Kangra and Chamba districts by the current Congress government would be his rallying point during campaign for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Equal treatment for all

The Union Government has already allocated Rs 30 crore for bringing up the north campus of the CUHP at Jadrangal in Dharamsala Assembly constituency. The money could not be spent as the current government does not want the CUHP campus to come up in Dharamsala. The BJP will rake up the issue in a big way during its election campaign. Rajiv Bharadwaj, BJP Kangra nominee

Bharadwaj, considered a loyalist of former CM Shanta Kumar, said the party had rewarded him by giving ticket from Kangra parliamentary constituency due to his 35 years of selfless service to the organisation. “I have been working for the party for past more than three decades in whatever position was given to me,” he said.

He said under the leadership of Narendra Modi the country had progressed and emerged as a strong nation in the last 10 years. The BJP was seeking third term for Modi to keep the country on path of progress.

Bharadwaj said the current Congress government had shown bias against Kangra parliamentary constituency like no other elected government in the state. The Central University Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) was the biggest issue for Kangra. The current Congress government had been withholding Rs 30 crore for transfer of forest land in the name of CUHP for past about eight months.

The union government has already allocated Rs 30 crore for bringing up the north campus of CUHP at Jadrangal in Dharamsala Assembly constituency. The money could not be spent as the current government does not want the CUHP campus to come up in Dharamsala. The BJP would raise the issue in a big way during its election campaign, he said.

Bharadwaj alleged that Kangra parliamentary constituency had the lowest representation in Himachal Cabinet. The current Congress government gave just one Cabinet berth to Kangra parliamentary constituency in the first year of its rule. After a hue and cry was raised by Congress MLAs, the CM gave another Cabinet berth to Kangra. However, the ministers from Kangra were given the junior-most portfolios. The people of Kangra parliamentary constituency would punish the Congress MLAs who kept quiet over the issues of the region.

When asked about his plans for Kangra parliamentary constituency, he said he would raise the voice of the people in Parliament. Railway connectivity to the region can boost the economy of the area. Besides efforts would be made for restoring the Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail line at the earliest. “I will raise the issue of connecting Kangra with the broad gauge railway line ending at Amb in Una district. Besides, the BJP was taking suggestions from all sections of society for drafting plans for development of Kangra region. The party would issue a vision document for Kangra region as per the demands of people of the region,” he said.