Don’t blame BJP for revolt within party, says Bindal

The president of the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajiv Bindal, on Saturday hit back at the Congress, stating instead of blaming the BJP for the revolt within its ranks following cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha nominations, the party should focus on addressing its internal problems.

Bindal was responding to claims by AICC In-charge Rajni Patil, who accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating “Operation Lotus” to destabilise a democratically elected government in Himachal Pradesh. “The revolt is a result of the marginalisation of elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and senior party leaders by their own government, so Congress should not blame the BJP,” Bindal remarked.

He added the Congress MLAs rebelled against their own government because they did not wish to support a candidate from outside Himachal Pradesh for the Rajya Sabha nomination. “The Congress In-charge has been made aware of the financial mismanagement and the state government’s inability to fulfil the promises made during the 2022 elections,” he said.

Bindal criticised the Congress’s “Khatakhat” model, which he said had failed miserably. “Over 20 lakh women in Himachal are still awaiting the Rs 1,500 crore monthly financial assistance, while unemployed youth are demanding the creation of one lakh jobs as promised by Congress,” he added.

The state BJP president also refuted the allegations of Himachal not receiving help from the Centre. “Whether it is the problem of aid from the Centre or financial assistance under various centrally sponsored schemes, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central Government has been very generous,” Bindal concluded.