Himachal Pradesh: Congress holds meeting to prepare election strategy for Shimla constituency

On Friday, the Congress party, which expects to win all four parliamentary constituencies and six Assembly by-elections in the state, held a day-long meeting for the Mandi constituency.

Along with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, State Party President Pratibha Singh, and other senior leaders, including the party's candidates from Mandi and Shimla, participated in the meeting.

The party leadership has planned the strategies and campaigns differently for both Shimla and Mandi parliamentary constituencies. However, the party has yet to decide candidates for the Kangra and Hamirpur parliamentary constituencies.

State Party Chief Pratibha Singh, while speaking to the media, said that the candidates for the remaining Lok Sabha and by-elections in the state will be finalised soon.

"We shall very soon finalise the candidates for by-elections and the remaining two Parliament constituencies," said HPCC President Pratibha Singh.

She said that directions are being given to the party workers and leaders to gear up for polls in the state.

Adding further, she said, Congress leaders, including senior Congress leaders Gangu Ram Musafir from Sirmaur district under Shimla parliamentary constituency, who had left the party earlier, rejoined on Saturday.

"Yesterday we had organised the meeting for Mandi Parliamentary Constituency, and the Chief Minister had directed the leaders and workers to work for the campaign of their party candidates and make them win. Similarly, today we organised the same meeting for the Shimla parliamentary segment. All leaders, officials, and workers joined in this meeting," added Pratibha Singh.

On being asked about the resignation of the AICC secretary in charge of the party for Himachal Pradesh, Tajinder Singh Bittu, she said that the party would soon appoint another incharge for Himachal Pradesh.

"It is his personal decision. I don't know the reason but the party's high command will take a decision and appoint another secretary in charge of Himachal Pradesh as we will have to go for elections. We have already started our camping earlier but through this meeting, directions have been given and workers have been told to prepare for elections," Pratibha Singh said.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu also spoke about the meeting and said that strategies are being planned differently for each constituency.

"Yesterday we had a meeting of the Mandi Parliamentary Constituency and the leaders from all 17 Assembly segments under the constituency have assembled after detailed discussion. Today, we are here to take up the issues. The state party chief has called this meeting, wherein we discuss different strategies for Shimla and Mandi segments.

"We believe that for 15 months we have done development work. We have implemented the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for the employees and have also started a scheme for women to provide 1,500 honorariums to women. We are thankful that the election commission has allowed the women to submit forms for this scheme. We promised 1,500 rupees to women and all women in Lahaul-Spiti have received the sum in their accounts," said Chief Minister Sukhu.

The BJP is trying to stop it, be it the Old Pension Scheme or giving 1,500 rupees to women. We want to ask the three elected MPs of the BJP why they did not take up the disaster issue in the state and why they did not meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We had passed a resolution in Assembly for a special relief package, but the BJP did not support it.," Said the Chief Minister

The Congress party's candidate from Shimla Parliamentary Constituency, Vinod Sultanpuri, said that the non-performance of the BJP's sitting MP and candidate will be taken to the public.

"We are going to the meeting for a discussion. We will make plans to move forward. We shall plan to tour programmes. We shall go to the people and will take up the issues as the sitting MP did not reach the people and he could not represent the area and we shall take it forward for Shimla parliamentary constituency," said Vinod Sultanpuri.

Earlier on Friday, the Congress party's candidate from Mandi Parliamentary Constituency, Vikramaditya Singh, said that the party will go to the public on developmental issues.

He also said that apart from development and local issues the elections would be fought on the issue of protection of Sanatana Dharma in the state.

Accusing the BJP's Mandir candidate, Kangana Ranaut, of making false promises, he claimed that the food she eats goes against the principles of Sanatana Dharma and the cultural values of Devbhoomi.

The elections for four Lok Sabha seats are scheduled for the seventh phase on June 1, 2024.

Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats -- Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Kangra.

The polling for four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal, along with six Assembly seats that fell vacant following the disqualification of Congress MLAs, will be held on June 1.

The BJP won all four LS seats in 2019 and the counting will be done on June 4.

The party has fielded youth leader Vikramaditya Singh in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi Lok Sabha seat against BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut.

Congress' Vinod Sultanpuri will contest from the Shimla seat. (ANI)