Many MLAs will be dropped to buck anti-incumbency: Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, June 5

Seeking to buck the anti-incumbency trend in force in Himachal Pradesh since 1985, the ruling BJP is all set to replace a “sizeable number of MLAs” in state elections due later this year.

Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said a minute assessment of MLAs’ performance was under way and replacements will “definitely happen”.

“Of course, MLAs will be changed, definitely,” the CM said in an exclusive interaction with The Tribune here on Sunday when asked if sitting lawmakers could lose tickets as they did in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand where the BJP scripted history by repeating governments.

The CM didn’t put a number on how many MLAs could lose tickets but said the number would be “sizeable”.

“A very minute assessment of the performance of MLAs is under way. The party high command acts with a lot of thought in this matter and after a thorough evaluation and assessment, these decisions are taken. Outcomes have always been positive as we saw in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Those who have not performed, those with high anti-incumbency will definitely be replaced. A sizeable number of MLAs will be replaced,” the CM said.

He said the BJP government was geared to return to power and had identified major projects, district- and constituency-wise, to benefit people.

“Funds have been released for these projects and we have given a target date up to August for completion. We estimate that ongoing projects worth nearly Rs 5000 crore would be completed by August,” said the CM.

On the state government’s earlier announcement with respect to the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code on which the bordering BJP-ruled Uttarakhand has already formed a committee, CM Thakur said, “We are not in a hurry. We have studied the Uttarakhand model and are legally examining the issue. We will proceed with doable things.”

Asked about the ongoing targeted killings in Kashmir, the CM said the “Army should be given a free hand in the Valley.”

“The situation in the Valley is such that police alone cannot contain it. The Army would have to step in. We should not take the situation lightly. The Army should be given a free hand like it was given earlier,” the CM said adding that the situation was similar to the 1990s when prominent Kashmiri Hindus were targeted to perpetrate terror.

“That same attempt is being made again to avert ongoing resettlement of Kashmiri Hindus,” he said.

Thakur said the Congress remained the BJP’s principal challenger in the state despite being a divided house.

Noting that a third party had never had scope in Himachal, Thakur said, “We face a greater challenge from the Congress. AAP is hardly present here.”

The CM also rejected the AAP’s accusations that Delhi minister Satyendra Jain was recently arrested by the ED because the BJP was afraid of AAP’s emergence in Himachal, where Jain was party in-charge.

“Satyendra Jain’s arrest is rooted in eight year old charges against him and not in the fact that he was recently named the AAP’s Himachal in-charge,” Thakur noted.

On a question about the Congress bid to gain from late CM Virbhadra Singh’s legacy, the CM said the Congress was unable to mobilise in the name of the late stalwart.

“Yes the Congress is using the name of late Virbhadra Singh because they don’t have any other state leader. Singh’s family is being projected to gain sympathy and keep the late CM’s loyalists united. But the Congress won’t be able to mobilise votes on this count. It is a divided party,” Thakur said, flagging the recent Kinnaur incident where rival Congress groups clashed in the presence of Singh’s wife and Himachal Congress chief Pratibha Singh.