Sukhu chooses Jai Ram’s home turf for Dec 11 anniversary function

The selection of Mandi district as the venue for observing the third anniversary of the state government on December 11 is being viewed as a tactical political move by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to strengthen Congress in BJP bastion of Mandi.

The BJP had virtually swept the 2022 Assembly poll in Mandi as it won nine of the 10 seats. Also, the fact that Mandi district is the home turf of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur which makes the venue selection significant.

The Chief Minister today chaired a meeting to review the preparations for the state-level event to be held in Mandi district to mark the completion of three years of its tenure. A high-power committee comprising Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani and MLA of Dharampur constituency Chander Shekhar has been constituted to finalise the exact venue for the event.

The function to mark the completion of the first year of the government was held at Dharamsala while last year the event was held at Bilaspur on December 11.

Mandi is the second largest district after Kangra and has 15 Assembly segments. As such the political relevance of holding the three-year function in the district is being viewed as a smart move. The Congress suffered a major drubbing in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections as it had to contend with the lone seat of Dharampur, where Chander Shekhar managed to craft victory, largely because of BJP infighting.

The move is being viewed as an attempt to woo the people of Mandi and build Congress base in the district ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. “The event will prominently showcase the positive transformation achieved through ‘Vyavstha Parivartan’ initiatives undertaken by the state government in the last three years. Beneficiaries of various government schemes will also participate in the programme.

“The state government has undertaken significant reforms in education, health and the rural economy, benefiting people across the state. Signs of improvement are visible in the state’s economy, with a steady increase in revenue generation,” said Sukhu.

Lashing out at the Congress for its lacklustre three-year rule, state BJP president Rejeev Bindal said the state government looks helpless on all fronts even after completion of three years. “Not even a single public welfare scheme has been launched by the state government in these three years. The health services in the state are in shambles, causing immense hardship to the public,” he remarked.