Himachal Congress says Jai Ram got Rana inducted into BJP to ‘humiliate’ Dhumal family
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TNR Desk
In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership in Himachal Pradesh, Congress working president and Dharampur MLA Chandrashekhar has accused former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur of orchestrating the entry of disqualified Congress MLA Rajinder Rana into the BJP to “humiliate” the Dhumal family.
Addressing the media, Chandrashekhar alleged that Jai Ram’s motive behind Rana’s induction into the BJP was to belittle the Dhumal family, highlighting the historic defeat suffered by BJP veteran and former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at the hands of Rana in the 2017 Assembly elections. Despite the BJP securing a majority in the polls, Dhumal was denied the chief minister’s post despite being declared a chief ministerial candidate.
Drawing attention to what he termed as the neglect of Dhumal’s family during Jai Ram’s tenure, Chandrashekhar lamented the lack of courtesy shown by the “accidental chief minister” towards his predecessor. He pointed out that Jai Ram had failed to visit Dhumal even once after assuming office.
Chandrashekhar criticised Jai Ram’s prioritisation of Rana’s interests over Dhumal’s while holding the Chief Minister’s office, accusing him of sidelining Dhumal’s projects in favor of Rana’s initiatives. Expressing skepticism over Rana’s sudden allegiance to the BJP, Chandrashekhar questioned the political integrity of the move, asserting that Rana had previously antagonised Dhumal despite claiming him as a political mentor.
With the upcoming by-elections on June 1, Chandrashekhar predicted a backlash against opportunistic politics, asserting the electorate’s ability to discern between genuine representation and political expediency. He asserted confidence in Congress’ prospects in the by-elections, vowing a resounding victory and signalling an end to what he termed as BJP’s “money power politics” through the assertion of people’s power.
