Dharamsala: Sudhir Sharma, Sukhvinder Sukhu trade corruption charges

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala/Kullu, May 24

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during his two-day tour of Dharamsala targeted BJP candidate for the Dharamsala Assembly byelection Sudhir Sharma. Sukhu and Sharma levelled corruption charges against each other as the campaigning intensified for the prestigious seat.

The Chief Minister also met the Dalai Lama this morning to solicit the support of Tibetan voters in the Dharamsala byelection. He addressed an election rally at Passu near Dharamsala in favour of Congress candidate from Dharamsala Davinder Jaggi. He alleged that Sharma had purchased 82 benami properties in and around Dharamsala in the name of his driver in the past three years.

Sukhu alleged Sharma was a member of the land mafia and his driver had spent Rs 10 crore to purchase properties in and around Dharamsala. He claimed that a poor farmer had complained to him that Sharma had forced him to sell his property. “I have ordered an inquiry into the properties purchased by Sudhir Sharma in other parts of Himachal also and soon the facts will be before the people of the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sharma also levelled corruption charges against Sukhu and said, “I challenge the Chief Minister to prove that I own any property beyond what I have declared in my affidavit and I will transfer it in the name of the government.”

He alleged that the Chief Minister gave tax benefit of Rs 250 crore to one industrial unit set up in the border areas of Kangra. “Tax benefits to attract industry are given as per the policy. However, the Chief Minister has benefited a Congress leader from Punjab by giving her the tax rebate benefit of Rs 250 crore. The Chief Minister had Rs 250 crore for one unit of his friend but did not have Rs 30 crore for transferring land in the name of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP),” he added.

Sharma alleged that some close aides of the Chief Minister had bought a piece of land for Rs 2.5 lakh in Hamirpur district but later sold it to the HRTC for Rs 6.5 crore. He also demanded an explanation from the Chief Minister regarding special benefits given to a stone crusher in Hamirpur district, sale of four industrial units in Baddi and the recommendation for the transfer of forestland to an MLA in Dharamsala for setting up a petrol station.

Later at at Udaipur in Lahaul and Spiti district, Sukhu alleged that Congress rebel Ravi Thakur kept instigating other party MLAs to join the BJP by luring them with a Rs 15 crore offer.

Sukhu, while addressing a gathering, alleged that Ravi, who is now the BJP candidate for the Lahaul and Spiti byelection, had betrayed the Congress.

Sukhu said, “My government had celebrated first Himachal Day in the Spiti valley and the Samman Nidhi scheme under which Rs 1,500 per month is given to women was also started for Spiti in May last year. The women of the district were brought under the ambit of the scheme from February 1, 2024.”

Sukhu said that the state government had started the process of providing 22,000 jobs in one year.

He appealed to voters to support Vikramaditya Singh and Anuradha Rana, Congress candidates from Mandi Lok Sabha seat and Lahaul-Spiti Assembly constituency, to ensure their victory with a huge margin.

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