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Weighing in on his party's prospects in the Telangana Assembly elections, Congress leader and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu on Wednesday said the people, while casting their votes, will be mindful of how the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government met their statehood demand, which had been pending for 50 years.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the Himachal CM said, "The Congress is in a direct fight with the BRS and the BJP here in Telangana. In meeting the statehood demand of the people of Telangana, which had been pending for 50 years, the Congress lost a state (Andhra Pradesh) where it was in power at the time. However, we set aside our political interests to respect the regional sentiments of the people and ensured the founding of a separate Telangana state. I am sure the people of Telangana will reciprocate what the Congress did for them earlier. They will know who met their decades-old demand without bothering about losing power. This has always been our ideology and working philosophy. I am sure the voters of Telangana will keep this in mind tomorrow." Meanwhile, all preparations have been made for the smooth conduct of polling for the Telangana Assembly on Thursday. Home voting has been arranged for citizens aged over 80 years and voters with disabilities, the chief electoral officer for the state informed on Wednesday, adding that about 26,600 registered voters enlisted for this service. About 1,000 voters have also registered for the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System, the CEO informed. In view of the state election, all educational institutions in the Hyderabad district were closed on Wednesday and will remain closed on November 30, officials said, adding that schools and colleges will reopen on December 1. The votes for Telangana will be counted on December 3. On the possibility of cabinet expansion in Himachal Pradesh, the CM said the same was likely. "I met him (Governor) recently but it was a courtesy call. In the coming days, there remains a possibility of a cabinet expansion. A year has passed and 3 positions (ministries) are yet to be filled," he added. Earlier, on November 28, the CM chaired a review meeting with the administrative secretaries of the state. He directed the use of technology in the day-to-day functioning of government departments in order to ensure transparency and extend timely assistance to the common man. "A sum of Rs. 100 crores would be allocated under Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojna. Apart from this, Rs 20 crores would be provided to Public Works Departments to repair roads affected by the recent rains and landslides," CM Sukhu said earlier. (ANI)
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