Congress claims BJP may end OPS; Jai Ram says statement ‘twisted’
Sourabh Sood
DHARAMSHALA: Amid intensifying political crossfire over the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in Himachal Pradesh, former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday (November 27, 2025) issued a clarification, asserting that the BJP had no intention of scrapping OPS if it formed the next government. His statement comes a day after a remark in the Assembly triggered a fresh round of speculation and sharp reactions from the Congress.
On the opening day of the Assembly’s winter session, Jai Ram Thakur had said that a future BJP government would “review decisions taken by the Congress from Day 1”. The Congress quickly seized upon this, claiming the BJP would also reverse the Old Pension Scheme restored by the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government.
As the controversy mounted, Jai Ram Thakur addressed the media outside the Tapovan Assembly complex. He insisted that he had “never mentioned OPS at all” in his speech.
“I only said we would review decisions. Reviewing does not mean ending a scheme,” he said, adding that the Congress was twisting his words to “provoke employees” for political gain. “We do not do politics of vendetta. OPS was not even a part of what I said,” he reiterated.
NPS Employees’ Union hits out at Jai Ram’s comment
Despite the clarification, the New Pension Scheme Employees Federation remained critical. A federation office-bearer said they oppose Jai Ram’s remarks and consider them “irresponsible”.
“We fought a long battle for OPS. The Congress restored it in its very first Cabinet meeting. Employees remember the earlier statements made by Jai Ram Thakur on this issue,” he said.
OPS has been one of the biggest political issues in the state, influencing the 2022 Assembly elections significantly. The present government has brought 1.36 lakh employees under the Old Pension Scheme, fulfilling one of its core campaign promises.
OPS continues to drive political narrative in Himachal
The debate around OPS shows no signs of slowing down, with both BJP and Congress positioning themselves ahead of future electoral battles. While the Congress insists that the BJP’s “review” would target OPS, Jai Ram Thakur maintains that the claim is nothing more than political spin.
With employee unions closely monitoring every statement, OPS remains at the centre of Himachal’s political discourse, and both parties appear determined to control the narrative as the state inches closer to another election cycle.
