E-Paper
Mandi bypoll | We don’t need helpless leaders:Jai Ram’s jibe at Pratibha Singh
Taking a jibe at Pratibha Singh, who will contest the Mandi bypoll, Himachal chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said the Congress leader has said several times that she does not want to contest the election
With his prestige at stake in the Mandi bypoll, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur took a dig at Congress candidate Pratibha Singh saying that the state needed strong Lok Sabha members, not helpless leaders.
Speaking at a public meeting at Chaulthach, hes said, “In her speeches, Pratibha has time and again said she did not want to contest the elections. The Mandi Lok Sabha seat extends from Bharmaur to Kinnaur, including Rampur.”
While Pratibha has been speaking of the development work carried out by her husband, Jai Ram also spoke of leaders from the party that had passed away. “Many leaders are not with us today. BJP lost Mandi Lok Sabha member Ramswaroop Sharma. He is the man who popularised Mandi as Chotti Kashi, which also finds mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches. Virbhadra Singh has been the state’s chief minister several times. Sure, we had ideological differences but he also praised me when warranted. I never had a bitter fight like this with him,” he said.
“I am first a legislator and then a chief minister later. I have been serving the people of this constituency for 24 years, I am indebted to the public of Seraj” said the CM, getting emotional.
On rampant unemployment, he blamed the Congress for not doing anything in all the years it was in power.
“ Our government provided pension to mothers who had attained the age of 65 years. We started a HimCare scheme for the poor, under which 1.75 lakh people were treated. Launched the Sahara scheme, in which ₹3,000 is deposited in their account,” said BJP candidate Khushal Thakur, who was also also accompanied him.
Pratibha questions Mandi MP’s death
Shimla Congress candidate from Mandi Pratibha Singh hit out at the government saying that the elections were a referendum against the rising inflation and unemployment in the state.
“The BJP had earlier tried to evade the byelections and now was using the valour of the Indian army to deflect people’s attention from the core issues concerning the public,” she said, while addressing a series of rallies in chief minister Jai Ram Thakur’s assembly segment, Seraj.
“Virbhadra Singh had contributed a lot to the development of Seraj. I am saddened the see the poor condition of roads. It appears that BJP pays no attention towards the problem of the common man,” she said.
Pratibha also questioned Mandi Lok Sabha member Ram Swaroop Sharma’s death. “What circumstances led to Ramswaroop’s death. His family members demanded an inquiry into the death. The government must tell people what happened of the investigation,” she said.
