Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 14 : Following the NDA's sweeping victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Congress leadership.
Speaking to ANI on Friday in Shimla, Thakur congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, and Home Minister Amit Shah, calling the mandate "a massive endorsement of Modi's leadership."
"First of all, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our successful Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, party president Jagat Prakash Nadda ji, and Amit Shah ji. This remarkable victory shows that people's faith in Narendra Modi ji continues to grow," said Thakur.
Thakur noted the high voter turnout in Bihar and said the public mood was visible from the first day of NDA rallies. "From the crowds at the Prime Minister's and national president's rallies, it was clear that Bihar would once again give a majority to the NDA. But such a massive mandate is a matter of great happiness for all of us. The BJP has performed exceptionally well and emerged as the largest party," he said.
Targeting the opposition, he added, "The Mahagathbandhan tried to create hype across the country with the slogan 'vote chor, gaddi chhor,' but they have suffered a severe blow," he said.
Jairam Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi of consistently crafting strategies to deflect blame for electoral defeats.
"Rahul Gandhi always tries to ensure the blame for defeat does not fall on him. He blames the EVMs, or he accuses others of vote theft before the results. This entire drama now stands exposed. His leadership is under serious question, and soon we may hear voices rising against him within Congress," he said.
Taking aim at Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Thakur said, "Sukhu ji went to Bihar and claimed to have fulfilled all guarantees in Himachal. He talks about guarantees everywhere, yet wherever he goes, Congress suffers a humiliating defeat. I don't even know whether they won three or four seats they barely managed to open their account."
Thakur described the Bihar result as "a splendid victory for the NDA under Modi ji's leadership," and thanked the people of Bihar for choosing a development-oriented vision.
Accusing the Himachal Pradesh government of deliberately postponing local elections, Thakur said, "I don't know what has happened to the state government. Using the Disaster Act as an excuse, they have delayed Panchayati Raj elections that were due on time; earlier, they postponed municipal elections, and now PRIs. Congress fears it will lose if elections take place."
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has registered an emphatic win in the Bihar Assembly polls as the alliance has crossed the majority mark of 122 seats required to form the government in the state.
He questioned the government's decision to celebrate its three-year anniversary in Mandi.
"They say the focus should be on relief and rehabilitation after the natural disaster, yet they are celebrating. And why choose Mandi-- the worst-affected district, where the most lives were lost? Their thinking itself is questionable," he said.
Thakur claimed the Congress government has "no identifiable scheme," adding, "People are saying there is not a single scheme that the public remembers by name. Development has stopped, the state is in an economic crisis, employees aren't being paid salaries, pensioners aren't receiving pensions, and even hospital schemes have been shut down due to a lack of funds. But they have money for celebrations. Government should work in disaster-hit areas instead of celebrating," he added.
"At a time when people in disaster-hit areas need help, the government should be working for relief. Himachal is going through a financial crisis; they should stop these celebrations. They have only one Assembly seat in Mandi; next time, even that will be gone." Jairam Thakur further said.
He also criticised the alleged removal of 41 doctors from Mandi Medical College after the Chief Minister's visit.
"People of Mandi are asking what the government is planning to do next. This is a strange situation for Himachal," he said.
Concluding, Thakur remarked that the Congress government had halted all ongoing development works and failed to initiate even one new project.
"People are now questioning what this government has actually done," he said.