Himachal voters to teach BJP lesson for bid to topple govt: CM Sukhvinder Sukhu

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, May 13

Having survived the revolt in the party post the Congress defeat in the Rajya Sabha elections earlier this year, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is convinced people of the state will punish the BJP for its failed “Operation Lotus” to destabilise a democratically elected government.

“It is the electorate who will decide the outcome of this fight between ‘janbal and dhanbal’ as people have been witness to BJP’s orchestrated political drama wherein six Congress and three Independent MLAs were confined to hotel rooms under CRPF security for one month to bring down our elected government,” says Sukhu in an exclusive interview with The Tribune.

Hoping to wrest all four Lok Sabha seats that the BJP won in 2019, Sukhu says ensuring victory of the six party candidates in the six Assembly byelections is imperative to fortify the Congress regime against any future onslaught by the BJP. Exuding confidence of winning all six seats, he strongly feels the CM factor will work in his favour, especially in the Hamripur parliamentary seat.

“Despite facing financial constraints and havoc wreaked by rains, we managed to generate Rs 22,000 crore in revenue, which has been spent on ensuring welfare of weaker sections, women, youth, employees, farmers and daily wagers,” he says. The Congress has formed the government not for power but for “vyavastha parivartan” (systemic change) where the common man has a say.

Bringing about systemic change

Congress has formed government not for power but for vyavastha parivartan (systemic change) so that the common man has a say. — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Himachal CM