BJP in Himachal Pradesh tries to encash Modi charisma for political mileage
Shimla: Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh are due on November 12. All political parties have tightened their seatbelts regarding this. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is projecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal ties with this hill state. Along with this, the financial assistance provided for the state in the last 5 years is also being mentioned a lot. Slogans like ‘Himachal se ke ke ke hai, Himachal ke ke liye hai’ are being given by the BJP. Through this, the BJP plans to project development works and social schemes approved by the central government. Simultaneously, the efforts of the Prime Minister are being brought to the fore to address the problems of lack of infrastructure in the state.
Modi spent a lot of time in Himachal in the 1990s
A BJP functionary said, “The prime minister spent a lot of time in Himachal in the 1990s, when he was in-charge of the state. He knows the problems of the people here. PM Modi personally came forward to ensure the development of the state and progress of the people. This is also known to the people of the state. The BJP leader said, “Modi’s experience as an organizer played a vital role in strengthening the party’s presence in the hill state. He also contributed a lot to the success of the party in the state elections in 1998. Both the BJP and the Congress had won 31 seats out of 68 in that year’s elections, but the BJP formed the government in the state with support from the Himachal Vikas Congress.
PM Modi calls Himachal as second home
The BJP leader said the party office in Shimla was also built at the same time and the Prime Minister’s name is inscribed on a plaque in the building. At a rally in the state earlier this month, Modi had described Himachal as his second home (Gujarat first). In recent times, PM Modi has inaugurated or laid the foundation stone of many development related schemes in Himachal. PM Modi recently launched the third phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Himachal Pradesh and said that the government wants to connect every village in the state by road. Under PMGSY-3, 3,125 km long rural roads will be constructed in the state. Addressing a rally in Chamba, Modi said the BJP’s double engine government has built 12,000 km of roads in the last eight years in rural areas of Himachal Pradesh.
Several development works inaugurated in recent times
The Prime Minister said that under the ‘Har Ghar Jal Yojana’, 100% tap water supply has been made available in all tribal areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. He said that the double-engine government of the BJP has provided domestic gas cylinders to every household. He referred to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status given to the Hatti community. He said that this step shows that this government cares for the tribals. Modi also laid the foundation stone of two hydroelectric projects, namely the 48 MW Chanju-3 and the 30 MW Deothal Chanju hydroelectric project.
Both the hydroelectric projects will generate 270 million units of electricity annually. Through these, Himachal Pradesh is expected to earn an annual revenue of about Rs 110 crore. Earlier, Modi flagged off the new Vande Bharat Express train in Una district of Himachal Pradesh. In such a situation, it is clear that BJP has entered the Himachal elections keeping PM Modi’s face in front and is engaged in taking his association with the state to the voters.
