Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh Assembly’s winter session turned into a battleground on its second day, with Congress and BJP legislators exchanging sharp accusations over corruption, policy mismanagement, and favouritism. The debates highlighted unresolved grievances from both sides, intensifying the political discourse in the state.
Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani launched a scathing attack on the BJP, alleging that the previous government altered rules to appoint a former minister’s wife as a lecturer, compromising students’ interests. He also accused the BJP of shielding corruption during its tenure, citing instances of recruitment paper leaks and procurement of goods worth thousands of crores that were never utilized.
“The Congress government is committed to transparency and has a zero-tolerance policy against corruption,” Dharmani asserted. He defended the Congress’s decision to appoint guest teachers with a minimum of 60% marks in higher education, contrasting it with the BJP’s irregularities.
Congress MLA Chandrashekhar added to the charges, accusing the BJP of favouring Seraj, the constituency of former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while ignoring other areas of Mandi district. He alleged that an outsourced company operated exclusively in Seraj, sidelining the rest of the district.
Chandrashekhar also pointed to inflated purchases of water pipes under the BJP government, some allegedly for sources without water. “Irrigation schemes worth crores of rupees existed only on paper,” he said, demanding a white paper on these irregularities.
The BJP fired back, with MLA Bikram Singh questioning the Congress government’s contradictory affidavits in the High Court regarding Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) hotels. Singh alleged that Congress first claimed financial difficulties to justify closing 18 hotels but later declared some hotels profitable in a second affidavit.
He also accused the Congress of halting progress on major projects, including the Medical Device Park and Bulk Drug Park. “Illegal mining is thriving under the current government, and Congress leaders’ vehicles are being seized while officials are forced to take extended leaves,” Singh alleged.
BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma raised the issue of a petrol pump allegedly opened on forest land in Dharamsala and called for an investigation. He also highlighted the growing menace of the Chitta drug mafia in Kangra district, urging the government to take decisive action.
Sharma criticized the Congress for delaying payments to contractors, claiming the government treasury has been “closed for a month.”
The session exposed deep political divides, with both parties trading allegations of nepotism, corruption, and policy failures. As the Assembly proceedings continue, demands for investigations and accountability will likely dominate the agenda, keeping the political temperature high in Himachal Pradesh.
