Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi on Thursday accused the BJP of fabricating a misleading narrative regarding its performance in the recent urban local body (ULB) and panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh. He asserted that the outcomes demonstrated growing public support for the Congress party.
Negi's Response to BJP Claims
In a statement issued in Shimla, Negi directly targeted Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur for what he described as factually incorrect claims about the election results. He highlighted that the Congress regained control of the Chamba Municipal Council after a decade and the Chuwari municipal body after 15 years, securing both the President and Vice-President positions in these two civic bodies.
Congress Majority in Urban Local Bodies
Negi claimed that Congress-backed candidates held a majority in 29 of the state's 53 urban local bodies. He noted that the party achieved victories in all six municipal bodies in Kangra district, while the BJP failed to win a single one. Additionally, he asserted that the BJP suffered major setbacks in Mandi district, questioning the basis of their victory claims.
Rejection of BJP's 'Semi-Final' Narrative
Rejecting the BJP's characterization of the elections as a semi-final before the next Assembly polls, Negi argued that the people had already rejected the party's attempts to destabilize the Congress government. Referring to the Assembly by-elections, he pointed out that the BJP was defeated in six of the nine seats despite allegedly using money power. He questioned why Jai Ram Thakur had not resigned following that outcome.
Accusations of Diversion Tactics
The minister further accused BJP leaders of diverting attention from critical issues such as rising prices of petrol, diesel, and cooking gas by projecting a false sense of electoral success. He maintained that panchayat elections were not contested on party symbols and claimed that nearly 2,400 pradhans and 2,600 deputy pradhans elected across the state were aligned with Congress ideology.
