Leader of Opposition Jai Ram meets senior Kangra leaders
S Gopal Puri
DHARAMSHALA: Ten days before the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government completes three years in office, the Himachal Pradesh BJP has announced a mega rally in Dharamshala on December 1 (2025), aimed at highlighting what it calls the government’s “failures, false promises and non-performance”.
Senior party leaders from across the state are expected to participate in the event, which the BJP says will mark the beginning of a “large-scale public campaign” against the ruling Congress.
The decision to hold the rally came soon after former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur held an important strategy meeting with Kangra district BJP leaders in Dharamshala.
The meeting was attended by former Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar, MLAs Sudhir Sharma and Pawan Kajal, and senior spokesperson Trilok Kapoor.
Oppn aims to highlight ‘severe neglect’ of Kangra
During the discussions, the leaders accused the Sukhu government of severe neglect of Kangra, the state’s largest and politically most influential district. They alleged that development works had stopped, government promises remained on paper, and people felt “ignored and betrayed.”
Jai Ram Thakur said the current government was “promoting regional imbalance” and “deliberately discriminating against Kangra”. “The Sukhu government is intentionally sidelining Kangra. This is deliberate discrimination, and the public will not tolerate it,” Jai Ram said.
The BJP believes growing public anger in the district will strengthen its position ahead of the next electoral cycle.
December 1 Mega Rally to Target Govt’s ‘Failures’
The Dharamshala rally will focus on alleged stalled development works in Kangra and other regions; “paper-only” announcements by the Congress government; rising public dissatisfaction; and “administrative failures” over the past three years.
Top party leaders, including MPs, MLAs, former ministers, and national representatives, are expected to address the gathering. The BJP aims to use the rally to mobilise public support and counter the Congress narrative before the government’s official anniversary celebrations.
Congress picks Mandi for its anniversary celebration
Meanwhile, in what political observers describe as a strategic counterplay, the Sukhu government has chosen Mandi district, the home turf of Jai Ram Thakur and considered a BJP stronghold, to host its state-level event marking three years in power on December 11.
Chief Minister Sukhu recently chaired a review meeting in Shimla and said the event would highlight the government’s achievements under its “Vyavastha Parivartan” (systemic change) model.
A high-powered committee of ministers has been formed to finalise the venue, and the government has planned the release of a Coffee Table Book showcasing major reforms. Senior officials, including Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta and Principal Adviser Ram Subhag Singh, attended the meeting.
Sukhu said the state had witnessed “major improvements in education, health, rural development, revenue generation and digital governance”, and directed officials to prepare a two-year development roadmap.
Political temperatures rise in Himachal
With the Congress set to celebrate its anniversary in a BJP stronghold and the BJP preparing a Dharamshala rally to challenge the government’s record, the political temperature in Himachal Pradesh is expected to rise sharply in the coming weeks.
The December 1 rally in Dharamshala and the December 11 government celebration in Mandi are likely to become major flashpoints as both parties gear up for the battles ahead.
