"BJP tried to grab power through money power," says CM Sukhu

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 26 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Friday started his election campaign for the Shimla parliamentary constituency from the remote area of Dodra-Kwar in Shimla district and launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that the people of the state will punish them.
"The BJP tried to grab power through money power but its intentions could not succeed. The people of the state will punish the BJP for trying to grab power and will give all four Lok Sabha seats of the state to the Congress party. The BJP used money power to woo six Congress MLAs and cross-voted against the Congress candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections," he lashed out.
He said that sellable leaders can never be public servants. Attacking Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, the Chief Minister said, "In the arrogance of money power, Thakur even said that even God cannot save this government, but with the blessings of the gods and goddesses, the present state government got the budget passed."
He said that there were schemes related to the welfare of the common man in the budget, in which a provision has been made to increase the daily wage of MNREGA to Rs 300 and Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to give minimum support price on the purchase of milk.
The Chief Minister said that the Himachal Pradesh government will purchase cow milk at the rate of Rs 45 and buffalo milk at the rate of Rs 55 per litre. Apart from this, wheat produced through natural farming will be purchased at the rate of Rs 40 and maize at the rate of Rs 30 per kg.
"The state government closed the doors of corruption, due to which money came into the state treasury and with this money new schemes for public welfare were started. Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Samman Nidhi was started under which women above 18 years of age are given a pension of Rs 1500 per month," he added.
Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that during the time of BJP, there was an auction of papers for recruitment examinations, to stop this, the state government dissolved the Himachal Pradesh Subordinate Staff Selection Commission and established the State Selection Commission in its place.
The Chief Minister said that he has come into politics from a common family and has studied in a government school. That is why after becoming the Chief Minister, the state government started many schemes for public welfare. Mukhyamantri Sukhashraya Yojana was started for orphan children and the state government will also bear the expenses of education of widows' children.
He stated that the State Government organised Revenue Lok Adalat under which more than one lakh Intakal and more than 7 thousand Takseem cases were settled, which is a symbol of the strong willpower of the present State Government.
Notably, Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats: Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Kangra. The BJP had won all four seats in 2019.
The elections to the four Lok Sabha seats of Himachal Pradesh and by-polls to the six assembly constituencies that fell vacant with the disqualification of six rebel Congress MLAs will be held on June 1.
Voting for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 began at 7 am on Friday across 88 Parliamentary Constituencies spread over 12 States and Union Territories. (ANI)