On the occasion of the Congress government completing two years in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted a memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Wednesday. Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur led a delegation that outlined a series of allegations against the state government, accusing it of widespread corruption, financial mismanagement, and fostering mafia rule. State BJP President Dr. Rajiv Bindal and several party MLAs were also present.
The BJP alleged that the two-year tenure of the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government has been a “black chapter” in the history of Himachal Pradesh. The memorandum claimed that the government’s actions have pushed the state toward economic bankruptcy, with rampant corruption and wasteful expenditure. It further accused the government of promoting and protecting various mafias, including those involved in mining, drugs, liquor, forest resources, and land.
Among the 18 alleged scams detailed in the memorandum was a liquor scam involving irregularities in the auction of contracts earlier this year. The BJP pointed out that the Enforcement Directorate had seized immovable property worth ₹9.31 crore belonging to a liquor company in Nalagarh, indicating possible misuse of power. Similarly, the memorandum highlighted a land scam involving close associates of the Chief Minister, who allegedly acquired 70 kanals of land in 2015 at a fraction of its market value.
The BJP also criticized the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), accusing the government of selling profitable properties to cover up financial mismanagement. Eighteen hotels in prime locations were reportedly portrayed as loss-making entities to justify their sale. The opposition party further alleged irregularities in loans taken from the Asian Development Bank for constructing a five-star hotel in Nadaun, the Chief Minister’s constituency, calling it a suspicious project.
The memorandum accused the Public Works Department (PWD) and the industrial sector of being riddled with corruption. It highlighted a case where the wife of an MLA allegedly purchased factories in Baddi and sold them at ten times the price within months. Additional allegations included scams in the Green Energy Project, outsourcing, scrap disposal, and irregularities in agricultural mandi digitization tenders worth ₹7 crore.
The BJP claimed that the Congress government’s mismanagement has made Himachal Pradesh a laughing stock both nationally and globally. The party accused the government of prioritizing self-interest over public welfare and blamed it for making anti-people decisions that have burdened the state.
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur described the Chief Minister’s Office as a “den of corruption” and urged the Governor to take action against the alleged malpractices. He said that the BJP would continue to expose the government’s failures and ensure that these issues are brought to the forefront.
The Congress government has not yet responded to the BJP’s allegations. However, the political atmosphere in the state is expected to heat up as the opposition continues its attack on the government’s performance over the past two years.
