Anurag Thakur exhorts Himachal BJP Cadres to introspect assembly poll defeat ahead of Lok Sabha elections

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday exhorted the BJP cadre to introspect the reasons behind the party's defeat in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections and remove the shortcomings ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing party workers during a two-day residential meeting of the BJP in Hamirpur, Thakur discussed the Centre's achievements and its various schemes -- especially for the women, farmers and the youth -- in the recent Union Budget.

The Centre has taken care of every section in the Budget and there are immense possibilities for the development of all, he said.

Thakur also attacked the Congress and said it won the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh by lying to the public.

"In just two months of forming the government, the Congress has taken a loan of more than Rs 3,000 crore," he added.

Before the elections, the Congress promised Rs 1,500 to every woman in the state but the number of beneficiaries has been drastically reduced by changing the eligibility criteria, the BJP leader alleged.

Thakur and other office-bearers also took part in a signature campaign against the de-notification of institutions set up during the BJP regime by the present dispensation.

Earlier, reacting to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's call for the entire opposition to unite before the next General Elections, Thakur said all previous such attempts had failed.

Neither the opposition's ideology nor their intentions are clear, he said.

Thakur, who reached Amb by Vande Bharat Express, said the BJP would win a third consecutive term in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as the country has moved forward honestly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Nitish's plight is clearly reflected in his own statement. Once again corruption, "gundaraj" and "jungle raj" are in power in Bihar and the people are troubled. That is why, fearing a complete rout, he is trying to unite the opposition.