Shimla, April 9
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Himachal Pradesh president Rajeev Bindal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the state’s Congress government, accusing the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government of attempting to undermine democratic processes ahead of the Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections.
While addressing the press conference in Shimla, Dr. Bindal alleged that the state government had initially tried to delay the elections for nearly two years, even pursuing the matter in the Supreme Court. However, after the apex court directed that elections must be conducted before May 31, he claimed the government had shifted to what he described as a “new phase of manipulation and malpractice.”
Central to the BJP’s allegations is the repeated alteration of the reservation roster for local bodies. Dr. Bindal claimed that, for the first time in Himachal Pradesh’s history, Panchayat reservations are being changed arbitrarily—assigned to Scheduled Castes one day, declared unreserved the next, and later marked for women.
“This is not an electoral process; it is Congress’s ‘suitability model’, where rules are tailored to suit political convenience,” he said. Sharing the details, he further pointed out that such actions violate the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act and Article 243D, which mandate a transparent, structured system of reservation based on population and rotation.
Dr. Bindal also claimed that government officials are working under political pressure, leading to confusion and unrest across rural areas. He said that aspiring candidates, including youth and women, are feeling disillusioned by frequent changes to the roster system.
“The Congress is aware that people have made up their mind to reject this government, which is why it is now trying to capture the electoral process,” he alleged.
Reiterating the party’s stance, Dr. Bindal said the BJP would continue to raise the issue at all levels—from public platforms to the courts—to ensure what he termed an “anti-democratic conspiracy” does not succeed.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Himachal Pradesh president Rajeev Bindal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the state’s Indian National Congress government, accusing the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led administration of attempting to undermine democratic processes ahead of the Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections.
Addressing the media, Dr. Bindal alleged that the state government had initially tried to delay the elections for nearly two years, even pursuing the matter in the Supreme Court of India. However, after the apex court directed that elections must be conducted before May 31, he claimed the government had shifted to what he described as a “new phase of manipulation and malpractice.”
Central to the BJP’s allegations is the repeated alteration of the reservation roster for local bodies. Dr. Bindal claimed that, for the first time in Himachal Pradesh’s history, Panchayat reservations are being changed arbitrarily—assigned to Scheduled Castes one day, declared unreserved the next, and later marked for women.
“This is not an electoral process; it is Congress’s ‘suitability model’, where rules are tailored to suit political convenience,” he said.
He further alleged that such actions violate the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act and Article 243D, which mandate a transparent, structured system of reservation based on population and rotation.
Dr. Bindal also claimed that government officials are working under political pressure, leading to confusion and unrest across rural areas. He said that aspiring candidates, including youth and women, are feeling disillusioned by frequent changes to the roster system.
“The Congress is aware that people have made up their mind to reject this government, which is why it is now trying to capture the electoral process,” he alleged.
Reiterating the party’s stance, Dr. Bindal said the BJP would continue to raise the issue at all levels—from public platforms to the courts—to ensure what he termed an “anti-democratic conspiracy” does not succeed.
