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No political vendetta: Dhumal

Sujay Mehdudia

Will formulate youth-centric policies, says Himachal Chief Minister-designate

Priority to providing relief to those politically victimised
Corruption and price rise led to Congress defeat

NEW DELHI: Asserting that there will be no political victimisation or politics of vendetta, BJP Chief Minister designate of Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal said his Government would work to give a new direction to the development of the State and open new window of opportunities to the lakhs of youths.

Second innings

Poised to takeover reins of the State for the second time, Mr. Dhumal (63) said his first priority would be to give relief to those sections of employees, political workers and people in the State who have been politically victimised during the five-year long Congress rule.

Recruitment policy

Promising to speed up developmental activity and formulate policies with youth in mind, Mr. Dhumal said he would set in place a new recruitment policy where merit and compassion would be the prime guiding force. “We will take action in all the corruption cases that took place during the previous regime and also action against officers who were involved in corrupt practises. But there will be no political victimisation or vendetta,” Mr. Dhumal told The Hindu over phone from Hamirpur soon after his party impressive win.

Corruption

Mr. Dhumal, a sitting Member of Parliament from Hamirpur constituency, posted a huge victory from Bamsan Assembly constituency by a margin of 26,000 votes, said the issue of corruption and price rise had touched the hearts and minds of the people of Himachal Pradesh and that was one of the reasons why the Congress Government was shown the doors.

The BJP leader said the former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar had been with him during the election campaign and he had the blessings of the senior leader for taking over the top post in the State. Popularly known as “Sadakwala Mukhya Mantri” for the massive number of road projects he took up in Himachal during his previous tenure, Mr. Dhumal became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1998.

A law graduate and former English professor in Punjab University, Mr. Dhumal belongs to Samirpur village of Hamirpur district.

When BJP lost power in 2003, Mr. Dhumal became the leader of the Legislature Party

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