Shimla MC poll: Victory ‘validation’ of Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s leadership ability, says Minister
Shimla, May 5
The Congress today claimed that the win in the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections was in fact a hands-down victory for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. It alleged that the BJP tried to use the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to woo voters and made the elections look like a contest between him and the Chief Minister.
Will hit a four next year: Rohit Thakur
The BJP used Narendra Modi’s name and Union Minister Anurag Thakur campaigned for BJP candidates but the party still lost the elections. We have completed a hat-trick of victories. We will now hit a four next year. Rohit Thakur, Education Minister
“Normally, the MC elections are fought by state leaders. The BJP, however, used Narendra Modi’s name to seek votes in the elections, which seemed to be a contest between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. It’s for the first time in the state that votes were sought in the name of a national leader in the MC elections,” said Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan here.
He said, “The voters of Shimla have put a seal of approval on the popularity, honesty and the working style of the Chief Minister.”
He claimed, “The BJP cited projects like Smart City, proposed ropeway project in Shimla and water schemes started by the Central Government led by Modi, but people rejected its narrative and gave a clear mandate in favour of the Congress.”
Education Minister Rohit Thakur, who was the chairman of the Congress election management committee for the SMC elections, also questioned the BJP for seeking votes in the name of central leaders. He said, “The BJP used Modi’s name and Union Minister Anurag Thakur campaigned for its candidates but the party still lost the elections.”
Rohit said, “We have completed a hat-trick of victories. We will now hit a ‘four’ next year.”
Asked what was working for the Congress in the state while it was struggling to challenge the BJP in most other states, Chauhan attributed the victory to unity in the party, induction of new faces, tried and tested leadership and the clean image of the ministers. “Corruption was rampant during the BJP rule. In a short span of our government, there has not been even one allegation of corruption against us,” he claimed.
