edited by: Pathikrit Sen Gupta
Last Update: December 08, 2022, 18:28 IST
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. File pic/Reuters
With a clear majority of 40 seats, the party has gone far ahead of its 2017 tally of 21 seats with its poll promises of one lakh government jobs, withdrawal of the Agneepath scheme and implementation of the old pension scheme.
Himachal Pradesh has done it again. The hill state, known for electing a new government every five years since 1985, has thrown out the incumbent BJP and given it a chance. vigorous mandate Congress in the assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Thursday.
The old party made a strong comeback, leading on 39 of the total 68 seats, well ahead of 21 points in 2017. It also proved to be a reason to rejoice for party workers who lauded General Secretary Priyanka. Credited him for Gandhi’s victorious campaign in the hill state and the party’s success. The scion of the Gandhi family had spearheaded the party campaign in the hill state from scratch and addressed several rallies, public meetings and door-to-door talks. He also promised to roll back the controversial Agneepath scheme if the Congress is voted to power in 2024.
What began as a neck-to-neck fight between the BJP and the Congress in the early hours of counting finally gave way to a clear majority for the grand old party by afternoon. The party headquarters reverberated with slogans of ‘Himachal se aayi aawaz, Priyanka Gandhi zindabad’ even as an early lead indicated victory. Youth activists burst crackers and distributed sweets to celebrate the long-awaited victory in the state elections.
Congress national spokesperson Pawan Kheda said that the party is confident of securing a majority in the elections. The people of Himachal have elected Congress for the leadership. We were expecting a decisive mandate and now it has come true. The senior leader said the new government would fulfill all the promises and guarantees made to the voters of the hill state. “We will enter the fray in the first cabinet meeting itself,” he said. The Congress has promised to create one lakh jobs and revive the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) within the first year of coming to power.
The party fought the elections without two of its stalwarts, who had passed away last year – five-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh and cabinet minister GS Bali, who wielded considerable clout in the Kangra region. His sons, Vikramaditya Singh and RS Bali, won from their respective constituencies. Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh has also won.
read all latest politics news Here