Sukhu defends postponement of panchayat polls, cites relief work

While replying to the adjournment motion on panchayat elections in the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the process of delimitation and reorganisation of panchayats had begun in June and the State Election Commission carried out its duties without any interference from the government.

He said the government could not have anticipated a calamity “worse than the 2023 disaster” striking the state in 2025. “A major disaster also hit the constituency of former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. I remained in touch with him and deployed all possible resources,” he said. The Mani Mahesh Yatra was also affected, he added.

Sukhu said the Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi spent nine days in Bharmour to reopen blocked roads and ensure safe evacuation of pilgrims.

Subsequently, disasters struck Indora and Fatehpur in Kangra district. “Our DC was fully occupied with disaster management and rehabilitation. How could he be assigned other tasks at such a time?” he said.

He clarified that the panchayat elections were postponed under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act.

Sukhu said his government’s focus was on public service. “We work with today’s vision. Whatever responsibility I’ve held, I have held it for long. Let’s see what happens next,” he said.

He said that panchayat elections would be conducted immediately after the Disaster Management Act is lifted in the state. The process of reorganising panchayats is underway with several new units proposed as some existing panchayats have populations as high as 9,000, as per the figures.

He reminded that the previous BJP government had also created new panchayats during its tenure. “We want maximum turnout of the people,” he said adding that the government was committed to holding panchayat elections at the earliest once the Disaster Act is withdrawn.

Reacting to Jai Ram Thakur’s statement, “even God cannot save this government,” Sukhu said, “Our government is still running with the blessings of the people and the Gods,” he said.

Taking a dig at the Leader of Opposition, he added, “Jai Ram ji keeps saying he will review this government’s decisions in the first Cabinet meeting. No one knows whether that Cabinet will be in 2027 or 2028. Our government still has two years left.”