Congress Promised 5 Lakh Jobs Before Polls, Now Preparing to Put Lottery Tickets in the Hands of Himachal’s Youth: Anurag Thakur
August 27, 2026 |New Delhi:
Former Union Minister and MP Anurag Singh Thakur has strongly opposed the proposed lottery tender in Himachal Pradesh, questioning the Congress government’s priorities and warning that such a move could have serious implications for the future of the state’s youth.
Thakur said the Congress had made major employment commitments to the people of Himachal Pradesh before the Assembly elections, including a promise to provide five lakh government jobs. Instead of fulfilling those commitments and creating sustainable opportunities for young people, the government was now moving towards a lottery system that could encourage a culture of quick money and gambling.
He said the youth of Himachal needed employment, investment, skill development, entrepreneurship and better opportunities to build their future. Introducing a lottery mechanism, he said, was fundamentally at odds with these priorities.
Thakur questioned the Congress leadership over the gap between its pre-poll promises and its present policies. He said the people of Himachal Pradesh deserved to know what concrete steps had been taken towards fulfilling the employment commitments made before the elections.
He also highlighted the political consensus that had existed in Himachal Pradesh on the issue of lotteries. Thakur said that governments led by Prem Kumar Dhumal and Virbhadra Singh had, despite their political differences, not allowed such a system to move forward in the state. He questioned why the present government led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is attempting to revive the proposal when previous governments had kept the larger social interest above political considerations.
Thakur said Himachal’s young population should be encouraged towards education, employment, entrepreneurship and skill development rather than being exposed to the lure of easy money through lotteries. He urged the state government to reconsider its decision and withdraw the lottery tender in the larger interest of the state.
He warned that if the government failed to roll back the proposal, the Bharatiya Janata Party would take the issue to the people and launch a democratic agitation against the move.
Thakur said the future of Himachal’s youth could not be allowed to become dependent on lotteries and gambling. The government, he said, must focus on creating genuine employment and economic opportunities rather than promoting avenues based on chance.
