Former BJP Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday came down heavily on the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, alleging that its two-year tenure has been the worst in the state’s history.

“During its two-year tenure, the Sukhu government has pushed the state back by 20 years. This is also the most ineffective government in the history of the country,” he said while addressing the media.

The Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government is completing its two-year term by stumbling and falling, he alleged.

The government’s ministers and the state Congress president are unaware of the celebrations, which clearly shows a lack of coordination between the government and the party organisation, he said.

“The government is talking about celebrating two years, but its tenure has been marked by corruption and mismanagement. The question is how can such a failure be celebrated. This is the first government that was rejected by the Congress high command in its first year itself. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi was in Shimla during the celebration of the first year of the Sukhu government, however, she did not join the celebrations,” he claimed, adding that she did not consider the government’s failure worthy of celebration.

“Their achievements over the past two years include losing the Rajya Sabha seat despite the government having a majority, as well as the Chief Minister, Minister, and CPS losing in their constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP increased its seats from 25 to 28 in the by-elections, which clearly shows that the public has lost faith in the Congress government,” he alleged.

“The government has turned away from its guarantees. It did not provide 300 units of free electricity; instead, it stopped 125 units of free electricity. Women between 18 and 60 years are not receiving Rs 1,500 as promised. The youth have not been provided employment, and in fact, 1.5 lakh posts have been done away with,” he charged, claiming that the state government is misleading the country and lying about fulfilling its guarantees in Himachal.

The Chief Minister takes decisions without thinking and also withdraws them. Himachal Pradesh has become a laughing stock in the whole country, he charged, adding that the Chief Minister is only giving explanations through his cabinet ministers.

Listing issues of great concern and the state’s approach to privatisation, he accused the state government of conspiring to sell the state. “The BJP will not let it happen,” he added.

This government is anti-development. Under this government, neither pensions nor salaries are paid on time, he alleged.

Taking a jibe at the Sukhu government, Jai Ram Thakur said that the objective of this government is a ‘Holly Lodge Mukt Congress’, with the main agenda being to sideline the loyalists of former six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who resided in Holly Lodge.