Jai Ram Thakur elected legislative party leader, attacks Congress govt

Shimla: Former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, who was on Sunday elected the leader of the BJP legislative party in Himachal Pradesh, hit out at the Congress, alleging its government was failing to deliver on poll promises and leaders were moving in different directions.

Thakur was unanimously elected as all 24 BJP MLAs proposed his name for the post, senior party leader and head of the election management committee Mangal Pandey said.

The Congress wrested Himachal Pradesh from the BJP in November winning 40 seats in the 68-member assembly. The saffron party won 25 seats and three went to Independents.

Six-time legislator Thakur won from Seraj with the highest margin.

The meeting of the BJP MLAs here was attended by state BJP chief Suresh Kashyap, state BJP in-charge and co-incharge Avinash Rai Khanna and Sanjay Tandon, and central observer Vinod Tawda.

Later addressing media persons on Sunday, Jai Ram Thakur said though the difference in vote share between the Congress and the BJP was just 0.9 percent, the BJP has accepted the mandate and is ready to perform the role of opposition.

However, the Congress government has failed to deliver on its poll promises, he said and noted that it promised to implement the old pension scheme in 10 days but 14 days have passed.

The Congress is still unable to expand the cabinet, he said and added that the chief minister, deputy chief minister and MLAs are moving in different directions.

It is the first time that the public is protesting on road in the first two weeks of a new government as all development works have been affected, he claimed and added that MLAs are waiting to be inducted in cabinet while advisors are already enjoying cabinet ranks.

Thakur, who also submitted a memorandum to the governor, opposed the "de-notifying of functional institutions" opened after April 1, 2022.

It is illegal and the BJP is examining the matter legally as the institutions were opened after approval from the cabinet and with budget provision and creation of posts.

He informed the governor that the present Congress government has closed 574 institutions including offices related to electricity services, health institutions, ITI revenue sub-circles, police stations and Ayurvedic hospitals which were functional.

Earlier this morning, the BJP leaders paid floral tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his statue in the Ridge on his 98th birth anniversary.