Congress misused official machinery in elections: Himachal BJP chief

Una/Shimla: Himachal Pradesh BJP president Rajeev Bindal on Thursday said the party won all four Lok Sabha seats in the state and three assembly bypolls despite the Congress "misusing" the official machinery and filing "false cases" against BJP workers.

The BJP lost six out of nine assembly bypolls in the state -- six were held along with the general elections and three last week.

Bindal was in Una for a meeting of state BJP office bearers to review the performance of the party in the Lok Sabha polls and assembly by-elections.

"BJP workers campaigned for party candidates but the Congress misused the official machinery, false cases were registered against BJP workers, party supporters were pressured, and government employees were intimidated and threatened with transfers," he said, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

He said inspite of all such tactics, the BJP won all four Lok Sabha seats. The party also won three by-elections increasing its tally to 28 in the state assembly, the statement issued in Shimla said.

The meeting dismissed observations that BJP workers were passive, and concluded that all workers campaigned for the party and ensured its victory, it said.

National BJP vice president Saudan Singh, leader of the opposition in the state assembly Jai Ram Thakur and party MPs, including Anurag Thakur, were among those who attended the meeting.