Priyanka Gandhi urges Himachal voters to ‘throw BJP out of power, not to fall for its hollow promises’

The Congress general secretary appealed to the people to carry on the tradition of alternate governments.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday urged the people in Himachal Pradesh not to fall for the ‘hollow promises’ of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asked them to throw that party’s government out of power in the Assembly election slated for November 12.

Addressing a public rally at Mandi, she accused the ruling BJP Government of failing to keep its previous promises to the people, Ms. Vadra said the people of Himachal had established a tradition of changing government every five years, which was good and appealed to the people to carry on the tradition of alternate governments.

She said that under the BJP regime, people were adversely suffering due to price rise, Goods and Services Tax, and other anti-people decisions. “In Himachal, around 63,000 government positions are lying vacant but not being filled by the government. I promise that once Congress is in power, in the first Cabinet meeting itself. the decision surrounding the filling of one lakh government jobs. What we [the Congress] promise, we fulfill that. In Chhattisgarh, we promised farmer’s loan waiver and it was implemented the day the Congress formed its government,” she said.

“Apple growers in the State have been facing problems due to the indifferent attitude of the government towards them.. Also, government employees are annoyed with the BJP. Once the Congress party forms the next government, giving jobs to the youth and implementing the old pension scheme would be on its priority list,” she said, adding that the Congress would also implement the old pension scheme for government employees.

Hitting out at the BJP, Ms. Vadra said different sections of society, be they farmers, youth, women, small businessmen or employees, were suffering due to poor governance in the State.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur hit out at the Congress at a rally, alleging that the previous Congress Governments looted Himachal Pradesh. “Whereas the BJP Government developed every area of the State, the Congress leaders are saying that the BJP Government has given freebies to people of Himachal, but instead we have given relief to the people of the State in all aspects. Electricity consumers were given free electricity up to 125 units,” he said.