Time for people-centric, responsive govt, days of Rajashahi over: Prem Kumar Dhumal

BJP’s CM face claims the high percentage of polling in Himachal on November 9 ‘shows anger of the people’. Express

BUSY MEETING A stream of visitors from across the state at his village, Samirpur, in Hamirpur district, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal says BJP’s return to power is imminent and bound to begin a new era in the state: “One of planned development, people-centric services and a highly responsive government.” “Himachal Pradesh’s clean image has been severely dented by corruption charges against the Chief Minister and his kin. The state was an example of good governance and known for its excellent law and order enforcement. But everything has hit rock-bottom now. We have to start from scratch,” says BJP’s chief ministerial candidate.

Saying he was confident of forming the government, Dhumal claimed that the high polling that happened in Himachal on November 9 shows the “anger of the people and their resolve to dump the non-performing government, which looted public resources.”

Dhumal says “If voted to power, the BJP, as promised in the vision document , will have a focused agenda to restore people’s faith in the system, which is dysfunctional,corrupt and plagued by corruption and political inference now. Enforcing rule of law and fine-tuning law and order machinery will be a priority. Days of Rajashashi are over. Honest and upright police officers, who were sidelined, will be rewarded with responsible positions.”

The senior BJP leader said the state’s fiscal health had never been a matter of concern for Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. The Congress government indulged in luxurious spending and non-planned expenditure was highest ever. “They raised loans only to run government machinery, buy expensive fleet of vehicles. Around 50 chairmen and vice-chairmen was an unwanted burden. The BJP, on returning to power, will bring out a white paper, which will show the people how the Congress government functioned for itself and misused the public’s money.”

“A government’s role to protect life and property, which the present Chief Minister is least bothered about. It’s because he himself been busy fighting cases against him. We will assure safety and security of the people . We have promised to set up 24X7 Hoshiar Singh helpline, Gudia helpline, wmong other initiatives,” said Dhumal.

He said even as the BJP has a target of 50-plus seats, as per the feedback he was getting from the state, party workers and candidates, the party would get 60-plus seats.

Dhumal said a BJP wave was sweeping the state. “The kind of campaign strategy drawn up by BJP national president Amit Shah and his team and the time spared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in holding seven massive rallies created an atmosphere for change. Corruption and mafia raj, apart from law and order issues raised by the BJP in the campaign, put the Congress at the receiving end.”

“ We will have a double engine government — Modiji at the Centre and I in the state. The people will see development that they never imagined. We will focus on jobs, investments, promotion of tourism, horticulture, agriculture as prime engines of growth. The Centre’s funding will be fully utilised for people’s welfare and development,” said Dhumal.