Shimla: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday targeted the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh over its alleged failure to fulfil election promises, questioning Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s participation in protests against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Addressing the BJP’s ‘Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy’ padyatra in Shimla, Sarma said the Congress government had come to power through the same electoral system it was now questioning. He challenged Rahul Gandhi to explain his allegations of vote theft and urged Congress to respect democratic institutions.
Comparing the performance of the Assam and Himachal Pradesh governments, Sarma claimed that Assam had provided around 1.07 lakh government jobs against a promise of one lakh. He questioned the Sukhu government over Congress’s election promise of five lakh jobs and asked how many unemployed youth had actually benefited.
Sarma also questioned the implementation of Congress’s promise to provide ₹1,500 per month to women in Himachal Pradesh, contrasting it with the Assam government’s financial assistance scheme for women.
Defending the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he said accurate voter lists were essential to protect democracy and accused Congress of opposing the exercise for political reasons. He also raised the issue of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi.
Predicting a BJP victory in the 2027 Assembly elections, Sarma urged party workers to reach out to every household and highlight what he described as the Congress government’s unfulfilled guarantees and governance failures.
The padyatra began near the Old Local Bus Stand and passed through Victory Tunnel and the Vidhan Sabha road before culminating at Chaura Maidan. BJP state president Rajeev Bindal, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, MP Anurag Singh Thakur and other senior party leaders participated in the march and rally.
