The three-time parliamentarian from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, Anurag Thakur tells Harpreet Bajwa that he is seeking support for a fourth time in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
How do you rate the performance of the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh in the last two years? Are you satisfied?
The government has done well on all fronts, be it development or social welfare. When the BJP Government came to power, it inherited a debt of Rs 46,500 crore left by the previous Congress regime for such a small state. Under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Centre and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, welfare schemes have reached each and every constituency and touched upon individuals lives in Himachal Pradesh.
The party has reposed faith in you for the fourth time. Won’t you face some anti-incumbency as you have been three-time sitting MP from Hamirpur?
What makes any parliamentary constituency robust? If you talk about education institutes, health facilities, roads and railway, Hamirpur boasts of all this. Look at what we have achieved- Hamirpur constituency is among the few to have AIIMS, PGI, Indian Institute of Information Technology, two medical colleges, a central university, hydro engineering college, technical university, five Kendriya Vidyalayas, and three sanctioned railway lines from Una to Hamirpur, Bhanupali to Bilaspur and Nagal-Una-Talwara. Recently Himachal Express between Delhi and Daulatpur Chowk has been extended and 25 national highways criss-cross it.
To boost health facilities and create a sports culture, I went beyond MPLADS projects and initiated campaigns like Asptal Mobile Medical Vans, Star Khel Mahakumbh and Sansad Bharat Darshan, which have all been very well received by all stakeholders. When you deliver, the question of anti-incumbency does not arise.
What are the issues you would like to highlight in your campaign?
The 2019 elections will be a vote for continued development and building a stronger, secure new India. We will seek votes on the remarkable work done by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the development his leadership has brought to our state. The country, at large, has benefited extremely from his pro-people and development-oriented approach.
Congress continues to mislead and bluff on promises. Their manifesto lacks a vision for India and the aspirations of youth. They have been making the same promises since independence but one can see what they did vis-a-vis the promises despite being in power for over sixty years.
Your father Prem Kumar Dhumal was Chief Minister. What difference do you find between his working as CM and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur’s?
Both leaders are development oriented and people-centric. Every individual has his own nature and style of functioning. Both are good in their respective administrative styles.