Congress leaders join BJP ahead of Himachal state polls |
In a huge setback for the Indian National Congress in the poll-bound state of Himachal Pradesh, several Congress leaders joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on November 7 in the presence of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur. Welcoming the leaders, the Himachal CM tweeted in Hindi “Customs are changing. Today many colleagues including former office bearers of Congress party of Shimla left the Congress party and joined the BJP. Warm welcome to all of you in the BJP family. Let us work in solidarity for the historic victory of BJP,”. A total of 26 Congress leaders have joined the ruling BJP which includes former Congress general secretary Dharampal Thakur, former secretary Akash Saini, former councilor Rajan Thakur, and former district vice president Amit Mehta, among others. The state, which goes to the polls on November 12, has a history of alternating between the Congress and the BJP in every assembly election since 1982. On November 6, BJP President J P Nadda, who also hails from Himachal Pradesh, released the party`s manifesto promising implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), 33 percent reservation for women in government jobs and educational institutions, and benefits for different segments. He also lauded Chief Minister Jairam Thakur for his governance in the poll-bound state and said that people have trust in the leadership of the CM and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the assembly polls in Himachal will be held in a single phase on November 12, the election for Gujarat is scheduled for December 1 and 5. The counting of votes in both states will take place on December 8.
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