Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu, campaigning for the Congress party, addressed a press conference in Kolkata today where he launched sharp criticism against both the Central BJP government and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal.
He alleged that West Bengal has fallen behind in development under the TMC regime and accused the state government of widespread corruption and governance through “syndicates.” He said mere slogans were not enough and stressed that governments must ensure real development on the ground. He added that the Congress party represents an inclusive ideology that respects all religions and communities, asserting that Congress governance is necessary to strengthen democracy and secure the state’s future.
Sukhu noted that after two decades, the Congress party has fielded candidates in all 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal, and claimed that development would accelerate if the party comes to power in the state.
He further accused the Central government of discrimination against West Bengal, alleging that no new development projects had been sanctioned for the state. He claimed that ongoing projects were originally initiated during previous Congress-led central governments. He also criticised the Centre’s approach to MGNREGA, alleging that it has been weakened and shifted from a demand-driven to an allocation-based scheme, reducing employment opportunities. He attributed the scheme’s origin to the vision of senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
On women’s empowerment, the Chief Minister said the Congress party has historically supported women’s reservation, citing reforms in Panchayati Raj institutions under former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He also criticised the recent Women’s Reservation Bill brought by the Centre, calling it politically motivated and arguing that it should have been implemented after wider consultation.
Referring to Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu said the Congress government was fulfilling its electoral guarantees and working towards making the state self-reliant. He alleged that the previous BJP government left the state’s finances under strain after distributing large-scale financial benefits in its final months. He also claimed that the Centre had discontinued the Revenue Deficit Grant and was attempting to slow down development projects in the state.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
