Shimla, March 9 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, on Monday said that the state government is functioning amid an atmosphere of instability and fear despite enjoying a clear majority in the Assembly.

Thakur told the media here that the internal turmoil and uncertainty within the Congress clearly “indicated a deep crisis of trust within the government”. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party had taken a decision not to field a candidate for the Rajya Sabha election this time, which naturally gave the Congress a significant opportunity.

However, despite this advantage, the confusion and internal contest witnessed within the Congress over the Rajya Sabha seat was unfortunate and exposed the party’s internal contradictions.

Thakur said several senior Congress leaders had travelled to Delhi to present their claims for the Rajya Sabha seat, while many others were repeatedly assured by the Chief Minister that their names were under consideration. However, it ultimately became clear that the Chief Minister had misled even his own colleagues and close associates.

He said some leaders had even completed the formalities required for filing nomination papers, including obtaining the necessary clearances, as they were told that they would receive the party ticket. However, the situation changed at the last moment, leading to resentment within the Congress.

Referring to senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, BJP lawmaker Thakur said Sharma’s “public anguish reflects the lack of respect and communication within the party”. Sharma had himself stated that he had always pursued politics with self-respect and was now paying the price for speaking the truth.

The Leader of the Opposition alleged that the government is currently being run not by the Cabinet but by what he termed a “circle of friends”. He said key decisions are not taken in formal Cabinet meetings but within a limited group of close associates who decide who will benefit and who will be sidelined.

–IANS

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