"This election is a battle against politics of horse-trading": Himachal CM Sukhu

Chamba (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 20 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu today addressed a large gathering in Churah assembly constituency, campaigning for Congress candidate Anand Sharma from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat.
Congress candidate Anand Sharma has been fielded from Kangra parliamentary constituency against BJP's Rajeev Bharadwaj.
During the rally held in Bhanjraru, Chief Minister Sukhu criticized the BJP and urged the people to ensure a resounding victory for Anand Sharma.
"The BJP has been representing the Kangra Lok Sabha seat for the last 15 years, but their MPs have failed to address the region's issues effectively. This time, the Congress has fielded a seasoned leader like Anand Sharma, who will strongly advocate for the issues of Himachal Pradesh in Parliament," said Sukhu.
Targeting the BJP, Sukhu remarked, "This election is a decisive battle against the politics of horse-trading. The people of the state will teach a harsh lesson to both, the legislators who were bought and the party that bought them."
Highlighting the achievements of the Congress government, Sukhu stated, "In the past one and a quarter years, we have formulated and implemented welfare schemes for every section of society. We amended the law to provide relief to disaster-affected families and offered a special economic package of Rs4500 crore from our resources. We have restored the old pension scheme for government employees, providing them with pensions up to Rs32,000, compared to the Rs2700 they received under the National Pension Scheme."
"We rely on the power of the people, not money. The BJP's dreams of forming a government in Himachal Pradesh will remain unfulfilled," said Sukhu.
The event was attended by Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Congress candidate from Kangra Anand Sharma, MLA Neeraj Nayyar, and other party officials and workers. In Bhanjaradu, 25 BJP-supported panchayat representatives joined the Congress party. The Chief Minister welcomed them by garlanding them and assured that they would be given proper respect and recognition within the Congress party.
Welcoming the new members, Sukhu said, "You will be given due respect in the Congress party. We believe your participation will further strengthen our party."
In his address, Chief Minister Sukhu appealed to the people to vote in large numbers for Congress candidate Anand Sharma and emphasizing the importance of an informed electorate.
Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats: Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Kangra. The BJP had won all four seats in 2019.
Assembly constituencies that fell vacant with the disqualification of six rebel Congress MLAs will be held on June 1.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases running from April 19 to June 1. The counting and results will be declared on June 4.