BJP Alleges Political Vendetta Behind Relocation of Jal Shakti Department Office from Mandi.
Shimla:
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has strongly criticized the Government of Himachal Pradesh over the reported relocation of the Jal Shakti Department’s Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) Project Office from Mandi to Fatehpur in Kangra district, accusing Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of acting out of political revenge following the Congress party’s poor performance in recent local body elections.
BJP Chief Spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal alleged that the state government has initiated a series of actions against Mandi district after facing setbacks in municipal, district council, and panchayat elections. He claimed that the decision to shift the ENC Project Office is not an administrative move but a politically motivated one aimed at weakening Mandi’s institutional importance.
Jamwal clarified that the BJP has no objection to Kangra district receiving development projects or government offices. However, he questioned the rationale behind transferring an office that had been functioning successfully in Mandi for years. According to him, the government has failed to provide any convincing administrative justification for the move.
Referring to the recent Mandi Municipal Corporation elections, Jamwal said that Chief Minister Sukhu had personally campaigned in the city and made several promises, including financial support for wards represented by Congress councillors. Despite these assurances, voters overwhelmingly supported BJP candidates, who won 12 of the 14 seats in the municipal elections. He further pointed out that BJP-backed candidates also performed strongly in the district council elections, which he described as a clear rejection of the Congress government by the electorate.
The BJP leader alleged that the Chief Minister has been unable to accept the electoral verdict and has responded by targeting Mandi district. He claimed that the relocation of the office is part of a broader attempt to weaken the region and diminish its administrative significance.
Jamwal also accused the Congress government of slowing development across Himachal Pradesh during its tenure. He alleged that several projects approved under the previous BJP government had either been delayed, shelved, or discontinued. According to him, a number of institutions and offices have been denotified or shut down, adversely affecting development and public services in the state.
Highlighting broader governance concerns, Jamwal claimed that the state government has failed on multiple fronts, including employment generation, financial management, law and order, and addressing the concerns of government employees, pensioners, farmers, and horticulturists. He alleged that Himachal Pradesh is facing an unprecedented financial crisis due to what he described as economic mismanagement by the Congress administration.
The BJP spokesperson emphasized that democratic verdicts must be respected and that no district should face discrimination because of election outcomes. He warned that if the government continues what he termed a discriminatory approach toward Mandi and does not reconsider the decision to relocate the office, the BJP would launch protests both on the streets and in the legislative assembly.
Concluding his remarks, Jamwal said the recent local body election results reflect growing public dissatisfaction with the Congress government. He asserted that the outcomes in municipal corporations, district councils, and panchayats are indicative of a larger political trend that could influence future assembly elections in the state.
The state government has not yet issued a detailed response to the allegations raised by the BJP regarding the relocation of the Jal Shakti Department office.
