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The political battle for the 2027 Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections gathered momentum on Tuesday as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu predicted a major setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur hit back by asserting that the BJP would return to power with a full majority.
Speaking to reporters after the state-level function marking the 120th birth anniversary of Himachal Pradesh's first Chief Minister, Y S Parmar, Sukhu claimed that public sentiment had turned against a large section of the BJP's sitting legislators. "I can say that out of the BJP's 28 MLAs, at least 16 will not return to the Assembly. The people have already made up their minds and will not vote for them again," the Chief Minister said. Sukhu also rejected the BJP's criticism over the presentation screened during the commemorative event, which the opposition alleged ignored the contributions of former chief ministers after Parmar. He maintained that the programme was intended to honour Parmar's vision of a self-reliant Himachal Pradesh and demonstrate how the present Congress government had incorporated that vision into its policies and development agenda. "There is a tradition that the government in office highlights its current initiatives while commemorating the leader being honoured. It is not possible to include the achievements of every government in a one-hour presentation," Sukhu said. Highlighting the government's rural development initiatives, he cited the MSP for milk, promotion of natural farming, the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana and other schemes aimed at increasing rural incomes, describing them as a continuation of Parmar's village-centric development model. Responding to the Chief Minister's remarks, Jai Ram Thakur dismissed Sukhu's prediction as political rhetoric and expressed confidence that the BJP would form the next government. "It appears the Chief Minister has started making political predictions. Nobody is taking such statements seriously, not even people within his own party," Thakur said. Claiming that the political mood favoured the BJP, the former Chief Minister said the party would secure a decisive mandate whenever the Assembly elections are held. "The Bharatiya Janata Party will return to power with a full majority. The Congress tally will be even lower than what the Chief Minister is claiming today. The recent Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections have already reflected the public mood," he said. Thakur also reiterated his objection to the official presentation on Parmar, saying that while the first Chief Minister's contribution to the creation of Himachal Pradesh was unparalleled, the role played by successive chief ministers in shaping the state's development should also have been acknowledged. He said leaders including Thakur Ram Lal, Shanta Kumar, Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal had each contributed significantly to Himachal's growth and deserved recognition during such state functions. The sharp exchange between the Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition reflects the early political positioning ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with both the ruling Congress and the BJP projecting confidence about forming the next government. (ANI)
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