Dhumal hit out against the Congress for its inability to help the state in getting any financial package for relief and rehabilitation works in the flash floods and rain-affected areas, despite the state Assembly having passed a resolution.

The state had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore and not a penny was received.

Addressing a press conference, Dhumal ridiculed the Congress’ claims of the state having been sanctioned a series of projects, including the IIT, Central University, ESI hospital and medical college, SAIL project and Institute of Fashion Technology.

“There is nothing extraordinary in what the UPA government did for Himachal. Whatever we got was a result of our efforts. Instead of giving help, the Centre cut down the period of tax holiday for Himachal from 2013 to 2007,” he alleged.

He recalled that the industrial package was sanctioned by the NDA government after he (Dhumal) convinced former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to help north-western states. He said now since the Congress is a coalition partner in J&K, the state (J&K) has been given an extension till 2013. This is a glaring example of discrimination against non-Congress governments in Uttaranchal and Himachal, he alleged.

Other issues that he mentioned include withdrawal of state’s rice quota, non-acceptance of demand for state’s higher share in recruitments to Army and para-military forces and creating uncertainty for investors by reducing the period of industrial package. Dhumal accused the Congress of diverting people’s attentions to non-issues. He said the next polls will be a “referendum on the UPA government’s failures to control prices, unemployment, corruption and terrorism, beside the state’s 15-month impressive BJP rule”.

Dhumal predicted that the BJP will sweep the polls in Himachal.

He said, “We are very comfortably placed on all four seats, including Mandi, where former CM Virbhadra Singh will replace his wife Pratibha Singh as Congress candidate. Look at the irony, even a sitting MP has declined to contest and this has compelled Virbhadra Singh to fight the election.”

When asked if the BJP leaders were trying to block allotment of a Congress ticket to Narinder Thakur, a former BJP leader in Hamirpur Parliamentary seat, Dhumal said, “There is no truth in such reports. Does the Congress allot tickets in consultation with the BJP?”