Contest in Himachal between ‘Jamanati, Mehnati’: BJP

Shimla: BJP leader Sambit Patra today lashed out at the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, saying the Assembly election would be between the family which is on bail and the hardworking family.

The party’s national spokesman alleged that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh only worked for the development of his son whose assests grew tremendously and asked him to explain the reasons behind the financial growth of his family.

He also asked Singh to clarify about properties allegedly owned by family members which were attached by the Enforcement Directorate in corruption cases.

He said the fight in the state Assembly polls would be between ‘Jamanati’ and ‘Mehnati’ or the family on bail and the hardworking family, referring to the Congress and the BJP.

He expressed surprise over the insurance policies allegedly purchased by the chief minister and his family members and claimed that the people of the state needed insurance against the “corrupt” Congress government.

Meanwhile, the former chief minister and the BJP candidate from Sujanpur today claimed that the BJP would win 60 plus seats in Assembly polls.

There was complete unanimity in the party and all those who had filed their papers as independent candidates would withdraw from the contest by tomorrow, he told reporters at Sujanpur.

He said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi would address a public meeting in Una as he had already addressed such meetings at Sujanpur and Bilaspur under the Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency.

The prime minister would address meetings in all three parliamentary segments of the state during the campaign while party chief Amit Shah would address the people in all the seventeen organisational districts, he said.

Dhumal said the people of the state were anxiously awaiting the return of the BJP government they were fed up with misrule of the Congress.

He said the formation of the BJP government was imperative for development, putting the economy back on rails, eradicate mafia raj and restoring law and order to instill the feeling of safety among the people.

He alleged that the Congress government laid down the foundation stones of various projects without making any budgetary provisions and termed them as “publicity stunts”.

PTI