In his first interaction with the media after being named the Congress candidate from Kangra Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh, senior leader Anand Sharma on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to tackle to problems such as growing unemployment, poverty and the old pension system (OPS).
“I don’t get into these divisive things… The Prime Minister says things he shouldn’t say as Prime Minister. These are elections. He should first explain what he promised in 2014. Where are the 2 million jobs? He should talk about bad decisions and policies, including the Agniveer scheme… the old pension scheme,” Sharma said.
“Just propagating something hollow will not bring them (BJP) votes. It’s the election or before the elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader also announced his candidature a few weeks ago. Ye durbhgyapuran baat hai (These are elections. And before the elections themselves, the BJP announced the results. This is unfortunate),” Sharma said.
“The manner in which Prime Minister Modi attacks the Congress manifesto…suggests that, fortunately, he has read our party manifesto carefully,” he added.
Himachal Pradesh will vote on June 1 in the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Sharma, who arrived in Shimla from Delhi on Thursday, left for Kangra after paying obeisance at the famous Kali Bari temple on Bantony Hill in Shimla on Friday.
-This is the first Lok Sabha election in which Sharma will be contesting. When asked if it was his wish to compete, Sharma said, “I have accepted all the challenges in my life with all my heart. Throughout my life, I have accepted challenges. Sharma’s opponent, BJP’s Dr Rajiv Bhardwaj, is also making his debut in electoral politics.
Sources said Sharma left for Kangra with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Minister of State for Persons with Disabilities Vikramaditya Singh in a helicopter. “Sukhu and Singh were scheduled to go to Pangi in Chamba and they will drop Sharma at Gaggal Airport in Kangra,” a source said.
At the Kali Bari temple, Sharma was accompanied by Congress leader Naresh Chauhan, CM’s principal advisor (media) Sukhu, state Congress chief Yashwant Chajta and former Congress MP Harbhajan Singh.
On April 30, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had nominated Sharma as the party’s candidate from the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency. Sharma was a Rajya Sabha MP from Himachal Pradesh twice, in 2004 and 2016. In 1982, Sharma began his political career by contesting the assembly elections from his hometown Shimla, but lost to Daulat Ram Chauhan of the BJP.
© L’Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First published online on: 03-05-2024 at 12:38 IST
