Will take action against rebels if they don’t withdraw papers, says Himachal CM

Chief minister Jairam Thakur told Chetan Chauhan in an interview that efforts were on to reconcile with these leaders and disciplinary action would be taken against those who don’t back down

Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, several disgruntled leaders filed nominations as Independents. Chief minister Jairam Thakur told Chetan Chauhan in an interview that efforts were on to reconcile with these leaders and disciplinary action would be taken against those who don’t back down. He also touched on a host of other topics, including the Old Pension Scheme and development in the state. Edited Excerpts:

New Delhi, Sept 21 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur meets Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo) (ANI)

BJP is facing rebellion in as many as 22 of 68 assembly constituencies. How are you trying to quell it?

The party has become bigger and the aspirations of our leaders have also become big. Many leaders demanded tickets and now, we have to follow what the party has decided. We are in touch with rebel candidates and are trying to convince them to withdraw. Two days are left for withdrawal of party nominations and I hope we will be able to convince some of them. We are getting some success. Let’s wait and watch.

What will be the likely impact of the rebellion and what action will be taken if the rebels don’t withdraw?

Rebels are there in Congress as well as the BJP, though the problem may appear bigger for us. We will take disciplinary action against those who don’t withdraw.

How big of an electoral issue is the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS)?

Employees in Himachal play a significant role in the state’s development. There is no denying it. We did a lot for them and they agree. It was Virbhadra Singh as the Congress government chief minister in 2003 who accepted the proposal to stop OPS. He could have refused, like West Bengal. Himachal was the first state to implement the new pension scheme. This raises a question mark over the Congress’s intention and wisdom. Virbhadra came back to power in 2012 and never restored OPS. Now, after 20 years, Congress is using it for political reasons, which is not correct.

OPS cannot be implemented without the Centre’s financial help. It is not possible even for Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan (Congress-ruled states). I saw CMs of these two states urging the Prime Minister for financial help to implement OPS. Issuing the notification and giving OPS are two different issues. If there is a solution to the pension issue, it will be found by the BJP as the Congress will not come back to power for decades.

How big are the issues of inflation and unemployment in these elections?

These are global issues and have been important in all elections. These issues are present among people but they understand that these things are not a creation of the present government. Congress is raising them and it may have some impact. But, I don’t think it will be much. We are telling people about development brought in by us and the response is good.

Is development a key electoral issue in Himachal?

Our development work is clearly visible. We have shown that our work is much more than all previous Congress governments. We have built 5,000 kms of roads in the state, as compared to the average of 2,500 kms in the same periods earlier, which is a record.

In 75 years, only 750,000 homes were provided with drinking water, we provided water to 850,000 homes in three years. Despite that, development sometimes is not a big election issue. I want to add that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has contributed a lot and gave medical colleges, AIIMS, Atal Tunnel, the bulk drug park to the state. Several big projects came to Himachal because of him.

There is perception that the Congress is trying to garner sympathy in the state for late Virbhadra Singh (he died in 2021). Comments?

This clearly shows that the Congress does not have state leaders today. There are only regional leaders and that is why, one who is not in this world is being projected as their leader. This really saddens me. This shows the Congress’s failure as they don’t have leadership without him (Virbhadra). We have a long list of leaders in the state and country. In Himachal, the real emotional connect people have is with PM Modi, who considers the state his second home.

Do you think the Congress’s low key profile is picking up and will impact the BJP?

In Himachal, the contest is between the BJP and the Congress. We accept the Congress’s challenge and are confident of our win.