Jairam Thakur Accuses Congress Govt of Politicising MGNREGA, Praises ‘VB–Ji Ram Ji’ Scheme

Shimla, December 22, 2025:

Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur launched a sharp attack on the Himachal Pradesh government, accusing the Congress and CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of “politicising MGNREGA” instead of improving rural livelihoods.

Thakur alleged that the State government has failed to release its wage share under MGNREGA for the past five months, forcing beneficiaries to rely solely on Central funds.

He defended the Central Government’s newly approved ‘Viksit Bharat – Ji Ram Ji’ scheme, calling it a transformative model aimed at sustainable livelihoods, skill development, timely wage payment, transparency, and corruption control.

Thakur also claimed Congress is opposing the new scheme due to “its discomfort with the name Ram,” adding that the initiative supports Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gramodaya by promoting self-reliant villages and long-term rural empowerment.

Accusing Congress of governance failure, he said the Sukhu government is “focused only on politics, not development,” while the BJP remains committed to farmers, labourers, and rural communities.