Shimla: Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi today here in a press conference said that BJP leaders are trying to divert public attention from pressing issues such as rising petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices by falsely claiming victory in the recent Panchayat elections.
He said that people across the state are demanding answers from the BJP over inflation. He said that the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders continue to rise, placing a heavy burden on ordinary families. He said that BJP leaders are urging citizens to avoid buying items such as gold and silver, whereas remaining silent on the increasing cost of essential goods and services.
Negi said that the BJP is attempting to distract people from real issues by portraying the Panchayati Raj institution election results as a victory for the party, despite what he described as a clear rejection of the BJP by voters across the state. He said that the Panchayat elections were not contested on political party symbols. Whereas out of 3,754 panchayats in the state, around 2,400 Pradhans and 2,600 Deputy Pradhans elected were candidates aligned with Congress party.
He further stated that the results of urban local body elections also favoured Congress. He said that Congress-backed candidates won in 29 out of the state’s 53 urban local bodies. In particular, Congress secured victories in all six municipal bodies in Kangra district, while the BJP failed to win any. He said that the BJP suffered a complete setback in Mandi district. Given these results, he questioned the basis on which the BJP was claiming victory.
Jagat Singh Negi said that Panchayat elections are not fought on party symbols and are generally influenced more by a candidate’s personal popularity, local issues and regional factors. Despite this, the BJP is the giving a political colour results in an attempt to mislead the public.
The Revenue Minister also rejected claims that these elections were a ‘semi-final’ before future elections. He said they were neither a semi-final nor a quarter-final. Referring to the Assembly by-elections, he said that when the BJP attempted to bring down the democratically elected state government through the use of money power, the public responded by defeating the party. He said that the BJP lost six out of nine Assembly by-election seats and questioned why Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur had not resigned after that result.
Revenue Minister said the BJP wants to keep the Panchayat election results in the spotlight to divert attention from important issues affecting both the state and the country. He said that it was the vision of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress Party that led to reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions for women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). He said these measures ensured wider participation in development and strengthened democracy at the grassroots level.
The Minister said that the BJP should focus on issues that directly affect ordinary people and rural development rather than making political claims about election results. He said that policies of the central government were negatively affecting development work at the Panchayat level and are reducing employment opportunities.
He further said that the effective closure of MGNREGA funding would leave panchayats without sufficient resources for development projects. He said that if panchayats do not receive adequate financial support, newly elected representatives will find it difficult to accelerate development work. This could affect basic infrastructure, employment generation and other public welfare initiatives in rural areas.
Negi said the BJP should clearly explain its position on these serious issues as sufficient financial resources are essential for the effective functioning of panchayats and for rural development. Congress returns to power in Chamba urban local body after 10 years and in Chuwari ULB after 15 years
The Revenue Minister said that the Congress party also performed exceptionally well in the urban local body elections held in Chamba district. He stated that after 10 years, Congress-backed candidates won both the President and Vice-President Posts in the Chamba urban local body and after 15 years, they secured both positions in the Chuwari municipal body as well
