LS polls: Statements of CM Sukhu reflect fear of defeat, says Anurag Thakur

Hamirpur: The Congress has already accepted its defeat in Himachal Pradesh as is reflected in the statements of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Union minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday.

“Till date, Sukhu has not been able to rise above student politics and does not talk like a chief minister,” said the BJP leader, who addressed several election meetings in various parts of his Hamirpur parliamentary constituency.

Voting in four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh will take place on June 1. Bye-elections in six assembly seats will take place on the same day.

“The chief minister is in panic seeing the BJP wave in Himachal in favour and is making baseless allegations against the BJP candidate from Barsar assembly seat,” said Thakur, who is seeking re-election from Hamirpur.

The CM had earlier said that Rs 55 lakh was recovered in Barsar but “never shared any evidence of allegation made by him and the amount so mentioned has not been deposited in the state’s treasury. Moreover, the administration and police have no information about where this money was found and who got it”, Thakur said.

Meanwhile, the BJP also lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer in Shimla in this regard.

In its complaint, the BJP alleged that the Chief Minister had

made an allegation that Rs 55 lakh was recovered from a hotel in the Barsar assembly constituency a few days back and termed it “false, imaginary, concocted and defamatory to mislead the voters”.

The complaint said the Election Commission (EC) and its name are being “misused” by the CM.

It is now for the EC to clarify publicly as to whether any such alleged recovery was made or not, the BJP said and sought strict action against Sukhu.