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Congress rushes Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Hooda, Rajiv Shukla to Himachal
The Congress was leading in Himachal on 39 seats, while the BJP was leading on 25 and had won one seat. The majority mark was 35 in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly
The Congress is sending Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, senior leaders Bhupinder Hooda and Rajeev Shukla to Himachal Pradesh on Thursday with the possibility of the party getting a majority in the hill state.
“The party is sending two observers -- Hooda and Baghel -- along with me. We will be travelling in some time to Himachal today,” Shukla told PTI. While Shukla is AICC in-charge Himachal Pradesh, Baghel was appointed senior observer for the polls.
Read: Himachal Pradesh Election Results 2022 Live Updates
“Though the results are still coming in but it is a victory of the people. With the blessings of God, if the Congress wins, we will do everything possible for the interest of the people of Himachal Pradesh. Priyanka ji (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) campaigned a lot, she worked really hard,” he said.
He also thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and general secretary organisation K C Venugopal for their cooperation in poll preparations.
The election observer of Congress for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls Bhupesh Baghel expressed hopes of forming government in the hill state judging by the ongoing ECI trends.
Baghel, while addressing mediapersons also stressed his apprehensions of horse-trading of the Congress MLAs.
ALSO READ: With 80% vote count so far, Congress takes lead over BJP in Himachal
“Though Congress is leading in many constituencies in Himachal, there is a neck-and-neck competition at many others. We should wait till the election results are announced as the counting is still underway,” Bhupesh Baghel said in his address to mediapersons in Raipur.
While mentioning that he will go to the hill state via the national capital, Baghel expressed hopes and said their expectation of forming a government in Himachal “appears to be coming true”.
When asked if the Himachal MLAs will be brought to Raipur amid the apprehensions of ‘horse-trading’, Baghel said that they need to be cautious.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Hooda on Thursday also said the Congress will form its government in Himachal Pradesh.
“I would be leaving soon for Shimla along with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla,” he said.
The Congress was leading in Himachal on 39 seats, while the BJP was leading on 25 and had won one seat. The majority mark was 35 in the 68-member assembly. It seems Himachal Pradesh has followed the tradition of alternating governments in the past four decades. The Congress and the BJP were directly pitted against each other in the hill state.
