Decode Politics: Why is BJP calling Himachal Congress govt ‘mitron ki sarkar’?

Ever since he assumed power in 2022, the BJP has accused Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of running a “mitron ki sarkar (government of friends)”, for preferring his associates for posts that enjoy Cabinet rank in the state.

On Friday, Sukhu’s Principal Media Adviser Naresh Chauhan, one of those in the BJP’s crosshairs, asked what was wrong with the CM helping “friends” who had stood by him in times of crises. “The BJP is repeatedly talking about ‘mitron ki sarkar’. Should enemies be given a place in the government?” he said, during an interaction with mediapersons in Hamirpur.

Why is Sukhu facing this criticism and how is this playing out in the political field?

The BJP’s “mitron ki sarkar” jibe is seen as aimed at several people, including four who are not elected representatives but hold Cabinet rank in the Sukhu government, thus entitling them to facilities and monetary benefits akin to ministers.

“The state is under a debt of approximately Rs 80,000 crore. In this situation, is it good that a CM increases the financial burden on the exchequer by distributing Cabinet ranks among his friends? For instance, the mining policy in the state was amended so that Sukhu’s allies benefited. After the 2023 flash floods, the government took action against many stone crushers but those owned by Congress leaders were left untouched. We have also filed a plea against the appointments of six chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS),” former CM and Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur said, adding that the High Court was bound to uphold their appeal.

Thakur also claimed that the phrase “mitron ki sarkar” was coined by Congress leaders and workers themselves, as they had been sidelined to give preference to the CM’s