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Himachal Pradesh Elections: BJP chief JP Nadda, Congress’ Sachin Pilot woo farmers in apple heartland
Himachal Pradesh Elections 2022: BJP’s national president Jagat Parkash Nadda addressed three back-to-back election meetings in the major apple-growing regions of the state;Sachin Pilot who addressed a rally in Kharapathar, the main trading centre for apples in Jubbal-Kotkhai
With the election in the last leg, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress on Monday went full throttle to woo farmers in apple- heartland, two months after the orchard owners took to the streets to protest against high production costs and low apple prices.
BJP’s national president Jagat Parkash Nadda addressed three back-to-back election meetings in the major apple-growing regions of the state, Rampur Bushar, home turf of Congress state chief Pratibha Singh, Jubal and Kotkhai and Rohru, all strong Congress bastions.
Barring 1977, when the Janata Party’s Nijju Ram emerged victorious in Rampur Bushar, Congress candidates have been winning elections from these assembly segments since 1951. This constituency then has always remained loyal to six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
Nadda, who made his maiden visit to Rampur Bushar after he became the national BJP chief castigated the Congress.
“Don’t contest elections on sentiments fight for your future.
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Later, Nadda flew to Jubbal and Kotkhai – another Congress stronghold. BJP’s late leader Narender Bragta was the only candidate to have won elections from Jubbal Kotkhai twice in 2007 and again in 2017. This time BJP has pitted his son Chetan, who had rebelled against the party after he was denied a ticket in 2021 by-elections. Chetan lost to Rohit Thakur of Congress. Rohit’s grandfather Thakur Ram Lal was the second Congress chief Minister in Himachal.
Jubbal- Kotkhai is a major apple-growing belt in HP. Chetan Bragta pledged to work for the welfare of the apples. “ No matter what happens, I will fight for the welfare of the farmers till my last breath, “ Chetan said. Nadda made a fervent appeal to people to support Chetan Bragta. Enumerated the works done by the former Horticulture minister for the strengthening of ₹6,000 crore apple economy. “Chetan will take forward the dreams of his father for the apple.
Pitted against Nadda in Himachal’s apple belt was Rajasthan’s Congress leader Sachin Pilot who addressed a rally in Kharapathar, the main trading centre for apples in Jubbal-Kotkhai.
Pilot alleged that the apple economy has suffered adversely due to the ignorant attitude of the government. “Apple’s economy is one of the biggest economies of the state BJP government abolished subsidies on the pesticides and fungicides in the state,” he said while seeking support for Congress candidate Rohit Thakur.
Sachin takes swipe at BJP infighting
Sachin Pilot took swipe at BJP’s infighting describing it as an “internal matter” of the party.
The Congress leader said that the response of voters in the field was very encouraging. “BJP leaders themselves are feeling that their party was losing ground,” Pilot said while addressing media in Shimla. “BJP ruled the state for five years, there is a lot of difference between the promises they made and what they fulfilled, “he said.
Pilot said had the BJP been confident it would have kept its report card in the public central leaders and the chief minister of the other state are touring the state.
“If the BJP had confidence in itself, the tall leaders wouldn’t have been touring the state, he said, adding that the Congress will fulfil the commitments made to the people in its manifestoes. “Guarantees were announced after taking feedback from the public,” he said, adding that the people of the state are feeling cheated.
