Shimla 21 October, 2026
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur has urged Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to focus on managing his own party and government instead of highlighting alleged factionalism within the BJP. He said the Chief Minister was unable to manage either his Cabinet or his party, while development and public welfare activities in the state had come to a standstill.
In a statement issued from Shimla, Thakur alleged that Sukhu had been practising factional politics throughout his political career and was still running the government in the interests of one group. He accused the Chief Minister of sidelining his Cabinet and relying on a close circle of associates to run the administration.
Instead of counting five factions within the BJP, Thakur said, the Chief Minister should list four major achievements of his government over the past four years. He alleged that the government had little to show for its tenure apart from the closure of several schemes and institutions.
Centre Deserves Credit for UDAN Scheme
Commenting on the launch of services under the UDAN scheme, Thakur said it was a Central government initiative in which the Union government contributed the major share of viability gap funding. He accused Sukhu of failing to acknowledge the Centre’s contribution and said the Chief Minister should express gratitude for its support.
Thakur claimed that most development activities in Himachal Pradesh, including those related to health, education and rural development, were being supported by financial assistance from the Central government.
Alleges Governance Failures and Corruption
The BJP leader further accused the state government of protecting disorder and corruption. He said roads damaged during natural disasters had not been properly restored and alleged that the drug menace was spreading across the state.
He also expressed concern over the condition of healthcare services, claiming that people were facing difficulties in accessing benefits under the Himcare and Ayushman Bharat schemes. Reports of patients struggling to obtain treatment had become common, he alleged.
Thakur further referred to allegations of fraud in the name of providing jobs and alleged extortion linked to outsourced appointments by people close to the government. He accused the administration of registering cases against those who raised questions about its functioning, claiming that such actions were intended to silence criticism.
Thakur said the Chief Minister was attempting to divert attention from the government’s alleged failures instead of addressing the concerns of the people.
