BJP Wants To 'Crush' People’s Mandate: Priyanka Gandhi Slams Saffron Party As Congress Battles Himachal Crisis

Priyanka Gandhi said that the BJP wants to 'crush' people's mandate by misusing money power and probe agencies.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. ( Image Source :PTI )

Himachal Political Crisis: Amid a political crisis in the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, saying that the saffron party wants to "crush" people's mandate by misusing money power and probe agencies. She further stated that the general public has the right to choose the government of their choice in a democracy.

The Congress party's general secretary took to X and said, "In democracy, the general public has the right to choose the government of their choice. The people of Himachal used this right and formed the Congress government with a clear majority. But BJP wants to crush this right of the people of Himachal by misusing the money power, power of agencies and power of the Centre".

लोकतंत्र में आम जनता को अपनी पसंद की सरकार चुनने का अधिकार है। हिमाचल की जनता ने अपने इसी अधिकार का इस्तेमाल किया और स्पष्ट बहुमत से कांग्रेस की सरकार बनाई। लेकिन भाजपा धनबल, एजेंसियों की ताकत और केंद्र की सत्ता का दुरुपयोग करके हिमाचल वासियों के इस अधिकार को कुचलना चाहती है। इस…

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 28, 2024

This comes a day after the grand old party suffered a shocking loss in the hill state after party stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi was defeated by the BJP's Harsh Mahajan after six MLAs from the grand old party voted for the BJP candidate. 

Continuing her attack on the saffron party, Gandhi further stated that the way the BJP is using the government's security and other machinery is unprecedented in the history of the country.

"The way BJP is using government security and machinery for this purpose is unprecedented in the history of the country. If a party with 25 MLAs is challenging the majority of 43 MLAs, then it clearly means that it is dependent on horse-trading of representatives. This attitude of theirs is unethical and unconstitutional. The people of Himachal and the country are watching everything. The BJP, which did not stand with the people of the state during the natural disaster, now wants to push the state into political disaster," Priyanka Gandhi said.

"If a party with 25 MLAs is challenging the majority of 43 MLAs, then it clearly means that it is dependent on horse-trading of representatives," she further stated.

Priyanka Gandhi also said that the BJP did not stand with the people of the state during the natural disaster and now wants to push the state into political disaster. 

"This attitude of theirs (the BJP) is unethical and unconstitutional. The people of Himachal and the country are watching everything. The BJP, which did not stand with the people of the state during the natural disaster, now wants to push the state into political disaster," she said.

On Wednesday, the Congress said that the BJP cannot take away the mandate of the people of Himachal Pradesh through its 'Operation Lotus' and it will not hesitate to take tough steps in the party's interest.

Addressing reporters after a crisis gripped the party's government in the hill state, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge has despatched three observers -- Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar -- to Shimla and has spoken to them.