Dharamshala, (Arvind Sharma)
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress government while addressing a workers’ convention held at Dharamsala in connection with the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation election campaign.
Alleging that the people of Dharamshala are disillusioned with the “anti-people policies, false promises, and administrative failures” of the present state government, Thakur said the public is prepared to support the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections to restore development, transparency, and accountable governance in the city.
Expressing confidence in the BJP’s prospects, he said party workers are committed to ensuring victory across all 17 wards of the Municipal Corporation. Appealing to voters to support BJP candidates, Thakur asserted that a BJP-led Municipal Corporation is essential for achieving “true and modern development” in Dharamshala.
Targeting the state government, the BJP leader alleged that development in the Dharamshala Assembly constituency had been deliberately stalled ever since MLA Sudhir Sharma was elected on a BJP ticket. He claimed the Sukhu-led Congress government was indulging in political vendetta at the cost of public welfare.
Thakur assured residents that there would be no shortage of funds for development projects in Dharamshala, stating that the BJP would secure a special budget from the Central Government for the city’s growth. He also criticised the Congress for making “hollow announcements” regarding Dharamshala’s transformation into a Tourism Capital and Smart City.
“Dharamshala cannot become a Smart City merely through speeches and declarations. It requires a concrete vision and strong political will, which the Congress government lacks,” he remarked.
The former Chief Minister further alleged that the state government had failed to even prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Smart City initiative. Referring to previous BJP-led development efforts, he said that during the BJP tenure, a budget of ₹200 crore had been sanctioned under the ADB project for the construction of an international-standard convention centre in Dharamshala.
“It remains unclear where those funds have gone,” he alleged.
Highlighting the BJP government’s achievements, Thakur said Dharamshala had gained national and international recognition during the party’s tenure through the hosting of major events and infrastructure initiatives. He urged party workers to reach out to the public and expose the “failures” of the Congress government ahead of the civic polls.
Several senior BJP leaders were present at the convention, including party in-charge Shrikant Sharma, MP Rajiv Bhardwaj, and MLAs Vipin Parmar, Sudhir Sharma, Vikram Thakur and Pawan Kajal.
