Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur blames inflation & 'internal sabotage' for bypoll losses

In a candid admission on Tuesday, Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur blamed rising inflation and internal sabotage for BJP's defeat in the bypolls. The by-election to the Assembly seats of Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai and the Lok Sabha constituency of Mandi was necessitated by the demise of Sujan Singh Pathania, Virbhadra Singh, Narinder Bragta and Ram Swaroop Sharma. While Congress managed to retain Fatehpur and Arki, it wrested Jubbal-Kotkhai and Mandi from the saffron party. 

Speaking to the media, Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur remarked, "I respect the public opinion in Himachal Pradesh in the recently held by-elections to three Vidhan Sabhas and one Lok Sabha seats. Our leadership of BJP fought this election together and tried to do better. But the results were not up to our expectations." 

He opined, "From the beginning, Congress used inflation as a big weapon. Inflation was an issue. They used this issue. But the truth is that inflation is not limited to Himachal but is a global issue. In today's age, inflation has increased across the world. Thakur elaborated, "It is a matter worth thinking as to what the party will do with the people in the party who did not work (for the candidates' victory). While some of the reports of internal sabotage which we were hearing have been verified, the rest have to be verified".

Himachal Pradesh CM confident of comeback

Taking to Facebook, the Himachal Pradesh CM called upon all BJP workers to address all shortcomings by 2022. Jairam Thakur stressed, "We are neither broken nor tired nor will we stop. The decision of the people is paramount, we are always ready for the welfare of the people of the state. Every worker of the state BJP is strong and will achieve the upcoming goal with strength. The morale of no member of the BJP family should be affected because of the results in these by-elections". 

Congress' victory assumes significance ahead of the next Assembly election late next year. Moreover, the win of 6-time CM Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh is being perceived as a setback for Thakur whose home district is Mandi. In the previous Assembly election, BJP won 44 seats in the 68-member Assembly. However, Thakur emerged as the consensus choice for the CM's post after BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal lost the election. On the other hand, the Sonia Gandhi-led party was reduced to 21 seats.