Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday appealed to voters to turn out in large numbers on July 10 for the by-elections being held for three assembly seats in the state.

He said that all voters should actively participate in the democratic process and cast their votes to strengthen democracy.

Sukhu alleged that the BJP conspired to topple an elected government using money power and persuaded independent MLAs to resign under a deal.

“For the first time in history, independent MLAs sat on a dharna and went to court to get their resignations accepted,” he said.

The independent MLAs had succumbed to the BJP’s political manoeuvres, forcing these by-elections upon the public, he said, emphasising the need to teach them a lesson.

The Chief Minister underscored this electoral contest as a choice between truth and falsehood, honesty and deceit, expressing confidence that voters would uphold integrity and truthfulness.

“The current count of Congress party MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha stands at 38 and this will increase to 41 following these by-elections,” he claimed, expressing confidence that the Congress will win all three seats.

Highlighting the remaining three-and-a-half years of the Congress government’s tenure, he urged voters in Nalagarh, Dehra, and Hamirpur to prioritise developmental agendas.

Sukhu stated that over the past year and a half, the Congress government has introduced significant welfare measures, marking a new chapter in addressing common grievances.

“Initiatives such as granting Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to employees and a monthly pension of Rs 1,500 for women were pursued despite opposition efforts to halt it,” he asserted.

“The state government has introduced English-medium education from the primary level in all government schools, along with a Rs 680 crore start-up fund for unemployed youth. Moreover, Himachal Pradesh’s pioneering initiative to provide minimum support price for milk has solidified its position as a leader among states,” he claimed.

Under the Congress regime, cow milk prices rose from Rs 32 to Rs 45, while buffalo milk increased from Rs 47 to Rs 55, he said.

Furthermore, other benefits include a four per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) raise for employees and a Rs 1,000 diet allowance for police personnel, he added.

Criticising, the previous BJP administration’s record of creating just 20,000 government jobs, many of which were allegedly mired in legal disputes, the Chief Minister contrasted this with the Congress government’s achievement of over 28,000 government job openings within eighteen months.

He further highlighted provisions such as free treatment for senior citizens over 70, free education up to 27 years for widows’ children, and Rs 3 lakh financial assistance for housing.

The daily wage under MNREGA was increased to Rs 300, facilitating socio-economic benefits. Besides, Revenue Lok Adalats resolved over one lakh transfer cases and around 8,000 partition cases, streamlining administrative processes, he said.

For the first time in the state’s history, the minimum support price for apples and mangoes saw an unprecedented hike of Rs 1.5 to Rs 12 per kg, the Chief Minister said.