Responding to the statement of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, state Congress president and former MP Pratibha Singh on Friday said that the people of Himachal Pradesh are standing strongly with the Congress.

Taking a dig at the BJP, she said, “The party need not be thrilled with the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections. The people of the country have completely rejected their slogan of crossing 400.”

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“Even though the Congress has lost all the four Lok Sabha seats in the state, in the assembly by-elections, the Congress has secured victory in four out of six seats. This clearly shows that the people of the state have supported the Congress party,” Pratibha Singh said, adding that public opinion is paramount in democracy, and Congress fully respects it.

The Congress government in the state enjoys a full majority and will complete its term with full strength, she remarked.

The demand of Jai Ram Thakur, seeking CM Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu’s resignation, is completely ridiculous, she said.

During Jai Ram Thakur’s tenure in the state as Chief Minister, Congress had defeated BJP 4-0 in three assembly by-elections along with the Mandi parliamentary by-election, so why did he not resign from his post at that time, she questioned.

The lessons of morality coming from Jai Ram Thakur do not sound credible because the BJP does not have any morality, she accused.

Pratibha Singh said that the people of the state have completely rejected defection and money power.

Calling upon the Congress party workers to neither be disappointed nor let their morale drop, she said that they have to work from now on for the victory of the party in the upcoming three assembly by-elections.

“The workers are the backbone of the party and they should go among the people with full enthusiasm and make known the popular policies and decisions of the state Congress government in public interest,” she said.

A spokesperson of Congress said that Pratibha Singh left for New Delhi to participate in the All India Congress Working Committee meeting to be held on June 8. During this period, she will also meet senior party leaders, he added.