Shimla: Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has accused the Congress government of ignoring opposition MLAs in the allocation of development funds and prioritizing only those Congress MLAs who are close to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Thakur announced that the BJP will boycott the MLA priority meeting scheduled for February 3 and 4, citing the government’s alleged bias and neglect of opposition legislators.
Addressing a press conference, Jairam Thakur said that despite attending MLA priority meetings for the last two years, BJP MLAs have seen no progress on their development proposals. He alleged that the state government has systematically sidelined opposition lawmakers by not approving their Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and blocking their initiatives under schemes such as NABARD funding.
“This is the third MLA priority meeting under this government. But if DPRs are not even prepared, how will projects move forward? Even existing DPRs for BJP MLAs are being deliberately removed before they are sent for final approval,” said Thakur. He further alleged that even within the Congress, only those MLAs who are in the Chief Minister’s inner circle are getting funds, while others face similar neglect.
Thakur also criticized the government for favouring unelected Congress leaders over elected representatives. “Congress leaders who did not even contest elections or those who lost are being given undue importance. They are being invited to official programs, inaugurating tournaments, and giving speeches at school functions, while elected MLAs—especially from the opposition—are being sidelined,” he said.
The BJP leader also accused the government of ignoring their requests at the district level. “When BJP MLAs write to Deputy Commissioners seeking funds for their constituencies, their requests are outrightly rejected. Instead, unelected Congress leaders are deciding where the money should go,” he claimed.
Jairam Thakur compared the current situation to previous governments, stating that past chief ministers, including Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal, gave due respect and priority to all MLAs, regardless of party affiliation. He condemned the Sukhu government’s approach as an insult to the democratic system and a blatant misuse of power.
With the BJP boycotting the upcoming meeting, tensions between the opposition and the ruling party are expected to escalate further. The party has demanded fair treatment for all MLAs and an end to what they describe as political discrimination in development planning.
