Panchayat election delay, funds row to dominate session

The winter session of the Vidhan Sabha is likely to be a stormy affair as ruling Congress and opposition BJP train guns on each other over deferment of the panchayat polls and Centre making Himachal wait for financial assistance.

The 10-day session will commence at Dharamsala from tomorrow with Congress and BJP legislature parties holding meeting to chalk out their strategies. The session will conclude on December 5 with a total of eight sittings.

The biggest issue that the BJP will raise in the house is the attempts by the state government to defer the panchayati raj institution (PRI) elections, alleging fear of defeat. The fact that the State Election Commission (SEC) is firm on holding the elections on time gives further ammunition to the BJP to target the state government on the issue.

The faceoff between the state government and the SEC is more than evident, especially when the State Election Commissioner Anil Khachi went knocking at the Raj Bhawan door on the issue. Following this, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla also remarked that the polls must be held on time.

The ruling Congress’s biggest weapon to hit out at the BJP will be the Modi regime’s discriminatory approach against non-BJP ruled states in not providing special financial assistance in wake of monsoon devastation. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has, time and again, urged the state BJP leaders to seek financial assistance from the Centre. He has said he along with his ministers is willing to go under their leadership to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We are still awaiting the Rs 1,500 crore announced by the Prime Minister during his visit to the disaster-affected areas of Kullu-Mandi on September 9, earlier this year. Sukhu announced an enhanced relief manual, being paid from our own kitty,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan.

Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur has been consistently hitting out at the state government for trying to defer PRI polls, fearing defeat because of its anti-people decisions. “The only achievement of the Congress in its three-year rule has been closing down of institutions, financial mismanagement, mafia raj and unleashing of vendetta,” said Thakur.

The other issues which could echo in the house from the opposition side include shortcomings in the relief and restoration post monsoon disaster, illegal mining, increasing drug menace and deteriorating law and order, especially rising crime against women. Apart from this, BJP will hold a protest rally in Dharamsala on December 4 against the failures of the state government.