New Delhi: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has asked the Himachal Pradesh team to give tickets to persons with a 'clean image' and keep the campaign positive to consolidate the Congress’ position in the poll-bound state. Himachal Pradesh will have an Assembly election later this year, where the Congress is trying hard to dislodge the BJP and is banking on the legacy of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
Priyanka chaired a strategy session with key leaders, including AICC general secretary in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla, state unit chief Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, campaign committee chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and AICC secretary in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Tajinder Pal Singh Bittu, among others.
“We have been told that our focus should be giving tickets to persons with a clean image,” Himachal Pradesh campaign committee chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told ETV Bharat. “We should keep our campaign positive while highlighting the failures of the state government and consolidate our position,” AICC in-charge of Himachal Pradesh Tajinder Pal Singh Bittu said.
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Sources said the focus on tickets to persons with a 'clean image' is an attempt to counter the AAP, which has been focusing on fighting corruption. The AAP lacks a base in the hill state but has become hopeful of gaining ground after Arvind Kejriwal’s party swept the 2022 Assembly Elections in neighbouring Punjab. Both Bittu and Sukhu dismissed the threat from AAP saying, “Himachal is a tourist place. They (AAP) are like tourists and will go back after the polls.”
“The Congress will come back with a majority in Himachal. We will highlight issues like corruption, inflation and unemployment under the BJP government,” said Shukla. Accordingly, a new social media campaign to put across the Congress agenda and flag the shortcomings of the Jairam Thakur government is being designed, said party leaders.
“Social media has become an important factor in polls today. We will connect with our workers and the voters to know what they expect from us,” said Bittu. Indicating the mood in the poll-bound state, former BJP state unit chief, former minister and Assembly Speaker Pandit Khimi Ram, joined the Congress on Tuesday in presence of Shukla, Bittu, and AICC secretary in charge of Himachal Pradesh Sudhir Sharma.
“Congress contributed immensely to the country’s development. My family has been with the BJP for three generations but today it has become important to support the Congress. I have made this move after giving it a proper thought,” said Khimi Ram.
“We will highlight unemployment, corruption, and price rise which are impacting the lives of people. A Congress win in HP would pave the way for a party victory in the 2024 national elections,” he said. To capitalize on the issue of joblessness, the Youth Congress will take out a pan-Himachal Pradesh yatra which will start from Dharamsala on July 27, said Shukla.
