A BJP delegation led by former CM Jai Ram Thakur and state BJP President Rajiv Bindal met the HP Governor Kavinder Gupta at Lok Bhawan, Shimla on Monday expressing the party’s concern about alleged interference in democratic processes and attempts to influence the public mandate during the Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections in the state by the Congress government.
In a memorandum submitted to the Governor, the BJP leaders alleged that the Congress government is resorting to administrative and political pressure in an attempt to manipulate the electoral process.
After meeting the Governor, former CM Jai Ram Thakur said, “The state in violation of Model Code of Conduct the state government convened a Cabinet meeting during the ensuing election and took several decisions to influence the voters and is hell bent upon to win the election by hook and crook.”
He said, “Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu himself is visiting election rallies and announcing development projects worth crores of rupees and also promising a grant of Rs 50 lakhs each for development projects after victory of Congress backed candidates in the Urban Local Bodies Election.”
Thakur said, “Previously, there was a clear provision mandating a seven-day notice period for the election of the President and Vice-President in the election of Urban Local Bodies but this rule has now been amended to grant unlimited discretionary powers to officials to manipulate the election by use of the power.”
State BJP President Rajiv Bindal said , “ The Sukhu government is openly violating the model code of conduct and trying to manipulate the election result in the ruling party’s favour by misusing the state machinery.”
