After the defeat of the party in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, BJP Chief Spokesperson and MLA from Shri Nainadevi ji Assembly constituency Randhir Sharma said that his party respects the mandate of the people.

While addressing a press conference in Shimla on Tuesday, he said that the people of the state have now entrusted them with the role of Opposition and the party will fulfill it well and will raise the issues of public interest before the government.

“While playing the role of a constructive Opposition, our party will extend full cooperation and support to the state government for pro-people decisions. However, if the need arises it will not hesitate to oppose anti-people decisions,” he said.

Sharma said that this is the first time in the history of the state that the ruling party lagged behind in forming the government by a very thin margin.

“Our party has missed out on forming the government in the state by a margin of less than one percent. There was a difference of only 37,574 votes between the two parties, which is very less,” he said.

“We express our gratitude to all our workers, who worked day and night for the party, and to the voters of the state, who gave more than 18 lakhs votes to the BJP,” he added.

While congratulating the newly elected Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, he said that it is unfortunate that the Chief Minister on the very first day after assuming office announced to review the decision taken by the previous BJP government after 1 April, 2022.

“Governments work in continuity and this decision does not suit any government to work with a sense of political vendetta in such a way,” he said, terming the decision of CM as autocratic.

BJP strongly condemns the decree to cancel the new institutions that were formed or the institutions that were upgraded after 1 April, he added.

“Keeping in view the interests of the people of the state, the previous government opened many institutions in various departments and also upgraded them. All these things were done keeping in mind the convenience of the public, but the de-notify all those institutions is uncalled for and is a dictatorial decision.”

Sharma urged the Chief Minister to reconsider his decision because this decision is not in the interest of the people of the state.

“They have got a chance to serve the people of the state, so they should take decisions in the interest of the state and the public, and for this the BJP will cooperate with them despite being in the opposition.

But if the government of the Congress party takes anti-people decisions, we will oppose it tooth and nail,” he said.

Replying to a question regarding Congress party wanting to install the foundation stone plaque of the AICC former president Sonia Gandhi at the Atal Tunnel Rohtang, he said that BJP wants to remind them that Sonia Gandhi had only done ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ and the work was executed by former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Central Government under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi.

He cautioned that if Congress government removes the plaque of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji from Atal Tunnel Rohtang, then their party will take to the streets and oppose it strongly.