Shah blows poll bugle in HP
CALL FOR CHANGE AT KANGRA RALLY Claims BJP to win more than 50 seats; says Shanta and Dhumal started development politics in the hill state
KANGRA: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah on Friday blew his party’s poll campaign bugle for the Himachal assembly elections, calling for a “change in the system and process of development” and to “throw out the corrupt Congress regime”.
Addressing the ‘Yuva Hunkar Rally’ by party’s youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morc ha (BJYM) in Kangra, Shah said the people of the state have realised that it is time for change and the party will win 50 plus seats.
“This will be a change in system and for development,” said the BJP president.
Launching an attack on chief minister Vi rb had ra Singh, Shah said it was for the first time in history that Himachal’s reputation has so severely been damaged due to allegations of corruption against the one heading the government.
He said it was BJP’s chief ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal who started performance and development politics in Himachal. “While Shanta was called ‘paani wala mukhyamantri’ (CM who provided water), Dhumal was popular as “sadak wala mukhyamantri” (CM who built roads). Virbhadra, on the other hand, is known as ‘bhrashtachar wala mukhyamantri’ (corrupt chief minister) and wears this as a badge of honour. He has set an unprecedented trend of not resigning even after allegations of corruptions.”
Calling the people of state to join BJP’s “Hisab Maange Himachal” campaign against the state government, the BJP president said development has accelerated under the Narendra Modi regime but this vehicle of growth could not enter the state because the Congress government was obstructing its way.
He said while the other states have excelled on economic front, Himachal was the only state whose fiscal health was declining and fiscal deficit has touched Rs 46,000 crore.
Addressing the rally, Union health minister JP Nadda credited Shah with making the BJP “the largest political party of the world”.
“The BJP is emerging strong in Jammu and Kashmir but never thought of forming a government. It was the under the able leadership of our president that we formed a government in the state,” said Nadda. He blamed the Congress government for failing to avail benefits of various central projects.
Former chief ministers Shanta Kumar and Pr em Kumar Dhumal raked up the issues of the Gudiya rape and murder in Kotkhai and murder of forest guard Hoshiyar Singh.