DHARAMSALA: As the legislative assembly by-election approaches in Dharamshala on June 1st, political tensions are escalating. The Congress party has yet to announce its candidate for the seat, previously held by Sudhir Sharma. In the 2022 Himachal Assembly elections, Sharma was elected as a Congress representative but later switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), now contesting the by-election under its banner.
The political atmosphere heated up further when Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, launched a verbal assault on Sudhir Sharma. In a press interaction today , CM Sukhu accused Sharma of neglecting Dharamshala's development during his tenure as MLA. He alleged that Sharma orchestrated appointments of several officials, including an SDM and XEN, based on personal preferences rather than professional merit.
CM Sukhu asserted that any development in Dharamshala during the last 14 months came directly through his(CM’s) approvals, encompassing smart city initiatives and other projects. He criticized Sharma for betraying the electorate's trust by shifting to the BJP prematurely, suggesting that Sharma's actions were motivated by personal gain rather than public service.
Adding to the controversy, CM Sukhu accused the BJP of attempting "Operation Lotus" in Himachal Pradesh—a strategy aimed at engineering defections from other parties—a tactic he claims has failed in the state. He highlighted the discontent among BJP workers regarding the new entrants from the Congress, indicating a rift within the party.
He concluded by urging the electorate to vote freely according to their conscience, setting the stage for a highly contested by-election. This ongoing saga in Dharamshala not only highlights the intense party rivalries but also underscores the volatile nature of political loyalty and the complex dynamics of local governance in Himachal Pradesh.
In a striking declaration, CM Sukhu vowed that the Congress would retaliate against these political maneuvers by winning all Himachal Lok Sabha seats too, currently held by the BJP in the upcoming general elections.
Speaking to the media on the allegations made by Himachal Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu against BJP's Dharamsala by-election candidate Sudhir Sharma, Sharma said that on the CM calling him an outsider, I would like to say that I have my own house here and my vote is also from Dharamshala, I am not an outsider, whereas the CM does not even have a house in Nadaun and his vote is from Shimla, where he has been a councilor. Sharma further said that he should tell “what smart city work he has got done, he does not even know how Dharamshala came into the smart city project because at that time Shukhu was not even an MLA, ” said Sudhir . Sudhir said that the public is fully supporting his decision of joining BJP and he is a person associated with Dharamsala development and will continue in this direction. He said that if CM had wanted the welfare of this constituency , he would have deposited Rs. 30 crores for Kendriya Vishwavidyalaya by now.