Una (HP), Mar 26 (PTI) Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday dubbed the Congress a “sinking ship” and said no one wants to remain in it.
The former chief minister was addressing the party workers who had gathered to greet Devinder Kumar Bhutto, one of the six Congress rebels who cross voted for the BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate and was given a ticket on Tuesday.
Thakur said that Bhutto was a former BJP person but had contested the last elections on the Congress’ ticket but now he has returned to his native organisation.
Former BJP minister Virendra Kanwar, who lost to Bhutto in the 2022 Assembly elections, was not present in the function along with his supporters.
Talking to the PTI on Tuesday, former Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister Virender Kanwar expressed his displeasure that the BJP picked Bhutto, a first time MLA from Kutlehar in his place.
“The party is above everything but the people of my constituency are disappointed and want that the decision of the party should be reviewed by conducting a fresh survey on popularity in the area. Bhutto worked like a dictator in the past 15 months and has lost his goodwill,” he added.
The six Congress rebels Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar Bhutto had switched over to the BJP from the Congress on March 23, nearly a month after being disqualified from the House for defying a party whip to be present and vote in favour of the Congress-led government during the cut motions and budget.
Thakur said that while the BJP had already declared the names of its candidates for all four Lok Sabha seats and six Vidhan Sabha seats, the Congress could not declare its candidate on even a single seat.
He said the Congress leaders are refusing to contest the elections.
Thakur said the process of ticket refund has also started at many places.
If the state president of an organisation does not want to contest the elections then what would be the strength of the organisation, he added.
On the rebellion in the BJP at many places after the allotment of tickets, Thakur said when such decisions are taken by the party high command then the leaders and workers take such emotional decisions but the issues would be resolved soon.
In response to the question of former minister Virendra Kanwar not attending the programme, he said that he did not attend the welcome ceremony due to personal work.
He has said that he would attend the programmes within a day or two, Thakur added.
Bhutto said that during his tenure of 14 months in the Congress, no work was completed in his area. PTI/COR/BPL AS AS
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