Congress in Himachal has lost confidence of people, right to stay in power: State BJP chief

Shimla: The Congress party has lost the confidence of the people and also the right to stay in power after a stunning defeat in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh, state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal said on Thursday.

Addressing media persons here, Bindal said it the ruling party with complete majority failing to win the Rajya Sabha elections is unprecedented. How the people can have faith in the government if its own MLAs raise banners of rebellion, he asked.

Congratulating BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan for the "historic victory", Bindal said both the Congress and the BJP candidates polled 34 votes each while the strength of the parties was 40 and 25 respectively.

The Congress government in the state has lost the moral right to stay in power, he said.

The style of functioning of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was "disgusting" and the losses suffered by the state are unprecedented, Bindal said, and added that it was for the first time that the people are disillusioned in a short period of 14 months.

The state BJP chief said the Congress came to power by giving false guarantees but lost its sheen and the living of people has become "miserable". The cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls was only a reflection of the anger of the people, he added.

Bindal said the BJP is holding programmes at the assembly, block and booth levels in the run up to Lok Sabha elections.

The party is sure to achieve the target of 400-plus seats in coming elections and win all the four seats in Himachal to make Narendra Modi the prime minister for the third connective term, Bindal added.