Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday urged residents of Himachal Pradesh to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the upcoming assembly election and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of announcing freebies out of the fear of losing the polls.
“The truth is if the BJP forms the government in Himachal Pradesh again, it will withdraw all such freebies as it has made electricity, bus fares, etc. expensive in other states. The BJP has never believed in the concept of providing things to people at a cheaper rate,” Sisodia said.
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Cautioning Himachal Pradesh’s voters against falling into the BJP’s trap, Sisodia said, “Please vote for the AAP.”
He added that the Himachal government had been scared of AAP’s announcement of fighting the 2022 assembly election and hence came up with the freebies.
Earlier on Friday, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur announced that residents of Himachal Pradesh will get 125 units of electricity for free which will benefit 11.5 lakh families.
Speaking at an event on the occasion of Himachal Day, Thakur said, “Families utilising zero to 125 units of electricity will not have to pay bills.”
Thakur also added that water bills will be waived off in rural areas.
Elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held later this year. The ruling BJP is aiming to retain power for a second consecutive term.
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The AAP, which recorded a massive win in Punjab this year – to set up its first government outside Delhi – is a first-time entrant in Himachal Pradesh.
On Wednesday, the BJP suffered a setback after senior leader and two others joined AAP.
“I am joining the Aam Aadmi Party because I was fed with the policy of the BJP. I have joined this party because I am impressed with Arvind Kejriwal’s work and ideology,” Harmel Dhiman, a former national executive member of the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha, said.
And a day later, Manish Sisodia said that at least 1,000 local leaders in Himachal Pradesh would join AAP and big names of the saffron party were in touch with Arvind Kejriwal.
