Chandigarh, Nov 3 (IANS) Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Monday accused the Congress of making “fake promises” while campaigning for the Assembly elections in Bihar and stated that it stood badly exposed in the hill state despite being at the helm for nearly three years.

“Just like in Himachal, the Congress and its allies are using deceptive tactics to cheat voters in Bihar in the name of poll guarantees. After the Congress got the mandate in Himachal by making false guarantees, the Congress is now employing similar tactics in Bihar. This is clear from speeches of Congress leaders in 2022 in Himachal polls and today’s speeches in Bihar,” Thakur claimed during the media interaction in the Chandigarh Press Club here.

He claimed that Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, also went to Bihar and broke “his previous record of lying.”

He alleged, “Most surprising is that he (Sukhu) went there (to Bihar) as the Congress’ brand ambassador of guarantees. The Congress government’s false guarantees have once again been exposed. Now, the Congress and its grand alliance will not be able to cheat even a single citizen of the country in the name of false guarantees.”

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Thakur said there is no need to give false guarantees. “We also ran the government for five years. We implemented guarantee of dozens of public welfare schemes like Grihini Suvidha Yojana, 125 units of free electricity, half bus fare for women, free water in rural areas, Him Care, Sahara Yojana, Shagun Yojana, old-age pension without any income limit after the age of 60…

“We implemented those schemes that were necessary for the people of the state. We did not blame the previous governments. We faced a global pandemic like COVID-19. When major governments across the world gave up and even the biggest companies fired employees without notice, we recruited new employees and did not deduct even a single day’s salary from an employee.”

“The Sukhu government in one stroke rendered people unemployed, even those who helped people during COVID-19 without caring for their own lives,” he claimed.

The soft-spoken six-time legislator Thakur, who rose from the ranks and is known for his humble, low-profile stature and was the 13th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh from 2017 to 2022, believes that governments “operate on good intentions, not on guarantees”.

“Unfortunately, in Himachal the government has a flaw in its intention,” said Thakur, who won his sixth consecutive Assembly election from Seraj, earlier known as Chirchot, in Mandi district.

He was also a Cabinet minister in the previous BJP government in the state led by Prem Kumar Dhumal from 2007 to 2012.

–IANS

vg/rad