Himachal BJP Protests Sukhu Government Over Job Shortfalls

The protest coincided with the Monsoon Session of the Assembly, providing a platform for the Bharatiya Janata Party to challenge Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on the state's economic trajectory. Thakur pointed to a stark decline in government personnel, asserting that the workforce has shrunk from approximately 1.9 lakh employees under the previous BJP administration to 1.71 lakh currently. He argued that these figures expose the government’s failure to deliver on its foundational commitment to provide one lakh government jobs during its initial Cabinet meeting.

Beyond employment figures, the BJP targeted the government’s recent decision to reintroduce lottery operations. Thakur demanded an immediate reversal of the policy, warning that state-sanctioned gambling poses a severe social risk in a region already grappling with a drug crisis. The opposition also pressed the government for transparency regarding the legalisation of cannabis cultivation. Thakur questioned the lack of empirical evidence or revenue reports to justify the move, noting that the committee originally tasked with studying the implications failed to provide a clear recommendation for the current path. With government employees and pensioners increasingly taking to the streets over delayed payments, the BJP claims public frustration with the Sukhu administration has reached a boiling point.