'Double engine government' against federal ethos: Vikramaditya Singh

Shimla: ‘Double-engine government’, a phrase often used by the BJP, is against the ethos of federal structure in the country, sitting Congress MLA from Shimla Rural assembly constituency Vikramaditya Singh said on Friday.

Vikramaditya Singh, a son of former HP Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, argued that central assistance is a must for any state, and Himachal Pradesh received good packages from the centre during the UPA and NDA governments.

The BJP has used ‘double engine government’ as a slogan during several assembly polls, apparently as a tactic to give the public the impression that BJP governments in state and centre are good for business and policy making.

Optimistic about Congress forming the government in the state with full majority, Vikramaditya Singh said that there are many contenders for the post of the Chief Minister, but the person will only be chosen by the MLAs and the party high command.

Asked about the possibility of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president and Lok Sabha MP from Mandi Pratibha Singh getting the top post, he said “everything is possible in politics.” “We along with all the Congressmen will follow the decision taken by the High Command,” he said.

“Our focus would be on resource mobilisation through improving the excise policy to increase revenue by three times, bringing a mining policy, royalty from forest resources, and promoting tourism in the untapped and unexplored areas in the state,” Vikramaditya Singh told PTI.

He also said that the BJP made an unsuccessful attempt to woo voters by playing the Hindutva card and promising to implement uniform civil code and surveying Waqf properties to weed out illegalities as there is no Hindu-Muslim conflict in the state.