Ex-CM: Congress trying to woo back rebels, Independents

Shimla, March 22

Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur today said that the Chief Minister, ministers and Congress leaders were trying to woo back the six disqualified Congress MLAs and the three Independent MLAs by making various offers.

Thakur, while talking to mediapersons here, said that all kinds of allurements were being given to the six disqualified MLAs, including ministries and party ticket to fight for the byelections. “Three Congress ministers are trying woo back the disqualified Congress MLAs by saying that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will be changed after the Lok Sabha elections, so please return to the party fold,” he claimed. Two of them were even claiming that they could succeed Sukhu.

Thakur admitted that the six disqualified Congress MLAs had met BJP national president JP Nadda and they could join the BJP shortly, the modalities for which would be finalised by the party top leadership.

He said that never before had Himachal seen such vendetta politics where FIRs had been registered. “The road leading to the house of one MLA has been blocked while a notice for unauthorised construction has been issued to another,” he added.

The former Chief Minister said that the Congress was violating the model code of conduct by getting forms filled by women for the grant of Rs 15,00 monthly financial assistance.

He added that state Congress President Pratibha Singh, who had been upset with the Chief Minister, had been blowing hot and cold for the past 14 months. “The Congress government and its leadership has become a tamasha that will end with the victory of the BJP on the four Lok Sabha seats and on the six Assembly seats where byelections will be held on June 1,” he clained.