Dharamsala (Arvind Sharma) |
Political activity surrounding the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation elections has intensified, with the Congress party deploying senior ministers, MLAs, and current as well as former MPs to campaign for its candidates in a bid to regain control of the civic body.
Addressing a press conference in Dharamsala on Saturday, Congress Chief Election Advisor and Agriculture Minister Chaudhary Chander Kumar, along with former MP Viplove Thakur, launched a sharp attack on BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma and alleged that Dharamsala’s condition had deteriorated despite being declared a “Smart City.”
Chander Kumar claimed that the Smart City blueprint had originally been prepared during the previous Congress government when Sudhir Sharma was serving as Urban Development Minister. He alleged that Sharma had deliberately kept his own residential area outside the Smart City limits to avoid urban taxation, while the rest of the city was brought under the project’s jurisdiction.
The Minister further alleged that crores of rupees from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) were spent on developing a Tulip Garden near Sharma’s residence, which he claimed is now lying neglected. He also alleged that the garden was constructed on forest land without obtaining the required permissions from the concerned department.
Criticising the underground sensor-equipped dustbin project, Chander Kumar termed the scheme a “complete failure” and accused the then Urban Development Minister of wasting public money. He also accused Sudhir Sharma of violating the spirit of the election code through remarks allegedly directed at members of the Radha Swami Satsang and comments made about the Municipal Corporation office.
The Congress leaders asserted that while the BJP was facing internal divisions and rebellion within its ranks, the Congress party was united ahead of the elections. Former MP Viplove Thakur also criticised Sudhir Sharma during the press conference.
The Dharamsala Municipal Corporation, comprising 17 wards, is considered Himachal Pradesh’s second most significant civic body after Shimla. The BJP campaign is being led by Sudhir Sharma, who is making strong efforts to retain the corporation under BJP control.
Polling for the Municipal Corporation elections will be held on May 17, while counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on May 31
