Describes results as victory of people money power, says no space for horse trading in state
The Newz Radar Network
Following the victory of Congress candidates in two of three Assembly constituencies in the July 10 byelections in Himachal Pradesh, the results of which were announced on Saturday (July 13, 2024), Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state people had defeated those “trying to gain power through money power”.
Addressing a large gathering of Congress supporters at his official residence Oak Over in Shimla, the Chief Minister said, “This is a victory for the voters of the state and the dedicated efforts of Congress workers.” He emphasised that voters had rejected the politics of horse-trading and have voted to maintain political integrity in the state.
It had been 25 years since the Congress candidate won in Dehra and in Nalagarh, the Congress candidate also secured a significant victory. The election outcome has sent a clear message to the entire country, making it clear that no candidate in Himachal Pradesh will dare to engage in horse-trading for the next 50 years.
He noted that attempts to destabilise the government since February 28, 2024, have been successfully thwarted, and conspiracies aimed at toppling the democratically elected government have failed. With this victory, the number of Congress party MLAs in the assembly has risen to 40 again.
The Chief Minister criticised Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur for his repeated claims of forming a BJP government in the state and at the Centre before the Lok Sabha elections, terming the BJP’s “Operation Lotus” as a major failure. He pointed out that despite the clear mandate from the public, Jai Ram Thakur continued to mislead the people of the state with false and exaggerated claims.
The Chief Minister also condemned the actions of three independent MLAs, stating that they had imposed the bye-election on the people by conspiring to overthrow the government. “Rather than supporting the opposition in the assembly, these MLAs left the state for a month and staged a protest to have their resignations accepted outside the Vidhan Sabha. The public has given a befitting reply to their obstinacy through the election results,” which serves as a lesson for those who tried to destabilise the Congress government i n the state.
