"Pratibha Singh is only one who can win parliamentary election in Mandi," says Congress leader Ram Lal Thakur

Mandi parliamentary seat is the home pitch of the former six-time Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh.

Thakur said this after Congress State Chief Pratibha Singh announced her withdrawal from the candidature.

"The Congress state Chief is an MP and she will have to contest. We have the same situation as it was earlier in the state. The people of the state will vote in favor of the Congress against the BJP. We shall win the majority of seats in the Assembly and also in Parliament. Pratibha Ji, the wife of Virbhadra Singh, is the only candidate who can win the Mandi parliamentary seat," he said.

When asked about him contesting against Anurag Thakur, he said that the Congress has a Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other capable leaders who can lead the party to victory. He also mentioned that the party doesn't have the funds to contest the polls against big money giants like the BJP.

"The Congress party is completely dry and the accounts have been seized by the BJP government. As you're asking if I will contest elections from Hamirpur Parliament, it is not possible to contest the elections without money. We have a Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister from Hamirpur, but we shall also keep in mind that Anurag Thakur and JP Nadda are there against us. They have huge money power, RSS is with them. The Congress needs to come together and we shall contest against them," he said.

When asked about the rebel disqualified Congress legislators, he said that the "BJP will not take the rebels and there is no scope for them in the Congress. People have voted them as MLA in the name of the Congress party and they have deceived the people."

"The Congress party is the one which has built the state. The BJP needs to find candidates; we have scores of such candidates available. To do cross-voting is a suicidal attempt by the six rebel-disqualified Congress MLAs. I don't think that the BJP already has their own candidates and people will not follow them. The BJP will not take the rebels and there is no scope for them in the Congress. People have voted for them as MLA in the name of the Congress party and they have deceived the people," he said. (ANI)