E-Paper
Political bigwigs to start campaign in Himachal
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on the party’s ‘double-engine (where one party has governments at the Centre and state)’ plank as well as the charisma of PM Modi to accomplish ‘Mission Repeat’ in the hill state, which has voted out the incumbent government so far.
Campaigning for the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections is all set to ramp up over the next week with a slew of senior political leaders of each political party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, scheduled to hold rallies.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on the party’s ‘double-engine (where one party has governments at the Centre and state)’ plank as well as the charisma of PM Modi to accomplish ‘Mission Repeat’ in the hill state, which has voted out the incumbent government so far.
Over the past month, the PM has visited the state nine times and addressed three rallies in Chamba, Una and Bilaspur, and one virtual rally in Mandi district. According to state party chief Suresh Kashyap, he will campaign in Mandi, Kangra and Shimla parliamentary.
BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, who hails from the state, is also scheduled to participate in a series of road shows in his home state, and also address rallies,Kashyap said.
The party is also bringing in Union ministers and chief ministers of states it rules. Kashyap further said that seven Union ministers will hit the campaign trail along with Shah — including defence minister Rajnath Singh, minister for roads, transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, women and child development minister Smriti Irani, information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, labour and employment minister Bhupender Yadav, minister of state for road transport and highways General VK Singh, minister for housing and urban development Hardeep Puri.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to hold 10 rallies next week in the bordering regions of Himachal Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pushkar Singh Dhami and Manohar Lal Khattar — Adityanath’s counterparts from Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana respectively — are also slated to participate in campaigning, said Kashyap.
“Double engine government is our biggest strength and moreover, Modiji has an emotional connect with people of the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, recently-appointed Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is among the list of senior party leaders who will campaign in the state along with former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel are also slated to hold roadshows in the state.
Former Union minister Anand Sharma, party general secretary Mukul Wasnik, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, state party president Pratibha Singh, leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, and former Rajya Sabha member Viplove Thakur are among the other senior leaders expected to be part of the campaign.
The main campaigners for AAP are Kejriwal, who is also the chief minister of New Delhi and his deputy Manish Sisodia.
Among the Left parties, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and senior leaders Brinda Karat, Subhashini Ali Pilot, Ashok Dhawale, as well as central committee members Mariam Dhawale, Surinder Singh, Rajendra Negi, Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon, Amra Ram, and Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami. The party is contesting on 12 seats.
Elections to the 68-member assembly are scheduled to be held on November 12, with the results expected on December 8.
