Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. (Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday claimed that the Congress was fighting a battle for survival in the country and also in the state and its effort to built-up a front with anti-BJP forces will not stand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s in the next Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a press conference at the party office after BJP’s poll performance in the North-East, Thakur said, “The country is not only turning Congress–mukt but also CPM-mukt following PM Modi’s good governance call.”
Complimenting PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for the Northeast performance- which he said was very significant for the party’s pan–India image, Chief Minister recalled that barring Punjab, NDA had been on a winning spree since Lok Sabha polls, adding-up a total of 21 states to its kitty. Himachal Pradesh was won in a landslide victory, besides Gujarat in December 2017.
“The kind of acceptance which the BJP and NDA partners have received across the length and width of the country, shows that party will sweep the next Lok Sabha polls comfortable. The Congress is having a battle for its survival. It doesn’t mind even joining hands with anti-national forces in the country to form a front against the BJP,’ said Thakur .
“This was the same party which the people described as ‘baniyaon ki party’ or a party having the face only in the north. What has transformed the voters’ mind is the image of Prime Minister, who is now a global leader and the BJP turning itself as the largest party in the world,” Thakur added.
Thakur said dozens of BJP workers lost their lives in building up the party base in the North-East and states ruled by the left-wing parties. The victory is a tribute to those souls and a blow to the left which was on its last leg to totally disappear from the country.
Not amending section 118
Dispelling apprehensions, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday ruled out any move to scrap section 118 of Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms (1972), but said ‘some changes’ in the rules to simplify procedures for land transfers are certainly under consideration of the government.
While answering media persons, Thakur said that the Congress was spreading misinformation on section 118 and a resolution which the party adopted at Mandi on Saturday is totally baseless.
“Congress, during its regimes, had made changes in the rules relating to section 118 for six times. BJP had always protected the section 118, which relates to land transfers to non-agriculturists and outsiders. Still, I am saying there is no move to tamper with the section. Interests of the Himachalis are fully protected under this law,” he clarified .
Asked about the government move on returning 283 crore rupees of Gujarat based business giant-Adani group, Chief Minister said, “It is Congress government which before the polls had tried to favour the company and return the money which the company had paid as upfront premium for a project allotted to other company. The matter was put before the cabinet and then withdrawn. The officers were pressured.”
There is no final decision on the issue, he added, raising doubts about the BJP government being approached by Adani to return the money.
Asked about how power minister Anil Sharma has categorically rejected the company’s claim against returning the money, CM Thakur said “Minister must have spoken on the facts after reading the file and papers with him. I am not contesting him. We will revisit the file and take a decision best in the state’s interests.”
On Congress’s convention at Mandi, Thakur said, “It was not a Congress convention. It was only one group which met there. Most leaders were absent. It’s strange that Congress wants to begin from a place where it got zero (none among 10 seats)”.
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