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Ruling out any possibility of Operation Lotus in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, the Deputy Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mukesh Agnihotri, on Thursday said the Congress government in the state remains united and politically stable, while strongly backing the leadership and work of Vikramaditya Singh.
Speaking to ANI, Agnihotri said Himachal Pradesh is the only state where the BJP's Operation Lotus was not only planned but also failed. "Despite losing nine MLAs, including independents, we saved the government, won six by-elections, and brought our strength back to 40. I do not see any such chance in the coming Rajya Sabha elections. A trick that fails once cannot succeed again," he said. Praising Vikramaditya Singh, Agnihotri described him as a "young, energetic, and valuable colleague" and expressed the spirit he has felt, saying the Congress government has entered its fourth year with unity and collective commitment to development, welfare, and pro-people policies. The Deputy CM said the state government is pursuing aggressive resource mobilisation amid shrinking central assistance and delayed fund releases. "The Centre has yet to release Rs 1,500 crore announced by the Prime Minister during the disaster visit to Dharamshala, Rs 1,200 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission, and full post-disaster assistance. At the same time, revenue deficit grants have been reduced by nearly Rs 3,000-4,000 crore," he said. Agnihotri said the financial stress has increased after the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme, following which the Centre imposed a cut of Rs 1,600 crore on the state. He urged the Centre to relax norms for hill states and ensure the timely release of funds. Highlighting infrastructure and tourism-driven growth, he said the government is prioritising ropeway projects, including the long-pending Shimla transport ropeway, whose cost has escalated due to inflation and currency depreciation. He also announced approval of Asia's largest zipline project in Dharamshala and expansion of adventure tourism initiatives. On governance reforms, Agnihotri said the Transport Department has emerged as the second-largest revenue generator after the Excise Department, contributing Rs 2,700 crore over three years. The department is transitioning towards electric buses, automation, digitisation, and green mobility, with automatic testing centres, scrapping facilities, and fully online transport services. Addressing natural disasters, Agnihotri said Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses exceeding Rs 10,000 crore over the last three years. He criticised delays in post-disaster fund release and urged the opposition to support the state's cause at the Centre instead of obstructing financial assistance. "The state's interest must always come first, whether one is in government or opposition," Agnihotri said. (ANI)
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