Cong leaders credit Priyanka Vadra’s campaign, strategising for Himachal Pradesh win

• The team of Priyanka Gandhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the senior observer for the polls, play an important role in formulating the election campaign   

NE NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, DEC 8

With the Congress headed for a win in Himachal Pradesh, its leaders on Thursday credited party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s campaign in the hill state for the good showing of the party in the assembly polls.

Priyanka Gandhi led the party’s charge in Himachal Pradesh with several rallies and was also closely involved in strategising for the polls.

Many leaders hailed her leadership in securing a win for the party and defeating the BJP’s mammoth election machinery.

हिमाचल प्रदेश के मतदाताओं का बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद।

हमारे सभी कार्यकर्ताओं और पदाधिकारियों का धन्यवाद।

लोकतंत्र में हार-जीत होती है, गुजरात की जनता का जनादेश हम स्वीकार करतें हैं।

हम अपनी विचारधारा से समझौता करे बिना, लड़ते रहेंगे और जो कमियाँ हैं उन्हें हम दूर करेंगे। pic.twitter.com/iGZljSshh0

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) December 8, 2022

All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla hailed Priyanka Gandhi’s campaign and leadership, lauding the “hard work” put in by her.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma also complimented Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for her “spirited” campaign in the state.

This is Priyanka Gandhi’s first electoral success while heading the campaign charge. The party had lost Uttar Pradesh assembly polls while she spearheaded the canvassing in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls earlier this year.

Party sources said the team of Priyanka Gandhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who was the senior observer for the polls, played an important role in formulating the election campaign.

Based on the feedback, a systematic election campaign was prepared under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi that involved pledges for women, youth, employees, the sources said.

During her rallies in Sirmour, Kangra, Solan and Una, Priyanka Gandhi raised the issues of Agnipath, inflation, unemployment and the old pension scheme, and that won over the people’s confidence, the Congress leaders claimed.

With the Congress winning the Himachal Pradesh elections on Thursday, party leaders thanked the people of State for reposing faith in it and giving a clear mandate. “This victory is of all of you. Thank you Himachal Pradesh,” the party said in a tweet in Hindi from its official handle.

The Congress now will be in power in three states on its own and in as many others — Jharkhand, Bihar Tamil Nadu — in alliance. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge congratulated the people of Himachal and credited them and party leaders for the victory of his party.

He said Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra has also helped in this win and thanked former Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her support in these elections. He said it is a long journey ahead and “we will all sit together and discuss the way forward”.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, “Heartfelt thanks to the people of Himachal Pradesh for this decisive victory. Hearty congratulations to all Congress workers and leaders. Your hard work and dedication are truly behind this victory,” he said in a tweet in Hindi. “I assure you again, every promise made to the public will be fulfilled at the earliest,” Gandhi added.

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said, “The beauty of democracy lies not in the power of any party but in the power of the people.” AICC in-charge for party affairs in Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla said the party workers did well and thanked all the leaders for campaigning in the elections.

Senior Congress leader and former union minister Anand Sharma hoped the Congress victory in Himachal Pradesh will have ripple effect in states going to poll next year. He said he was happy that the people of HP demonstrated wisdom and maturity to give the Congress a decisive victory and a stable majority.

“Delighted over the victory of Congress in my home state Himachal Pradesh. I thank our people, the voters and people of Himachal who have demonstrated wisdom and maturity to give Congress a decisive victory and stable majority,” he said. “The victory will have resonance and a ripple effective in states that will go to elections next year,” he also said.

Sharma, a member of the G23 grouping, had campaigned for the party in Himachal assembly polls, but later had lamented that the party did not utilise his services well. “Equally also congratulating all the Congress workers for their spirited campaign and not overwhelmed by BJP’s carpet bombing and unprecedented use of resources. Devbhomi has sent a message, loud and clear — withdraw the Agniveer scheme and restore the old pension scheme,” he said on Twitter. He said a united congress will provide a government that will take forward the developmental agenda and fulfil the promises made to the people.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala congratulated people party workers. “Truth and progress have won while lies and deceit have failed,” he said in a tweet in Hindi. The Congress has achieved a simple majority in Himachal Pradesh, winning 39 seats and leading in another.

People’s dissatisfaction with inflation main cause: Axis My India CMD

According to Pradeep Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, Axis My India, “People’s dissatisfaction with inflation, an antiquated pension system, and a desire for change were the main factors that led them to vote for the Congress despite the close race between the BJP and Congress. In contrast to Gujarat, our exit polls showed that the hill state saw 45% of the male population vote for Congress, and the majority of the votes were casted by the labour classes.

Additionally, the party received a significant portion of votes from the Dalit cadre. While a clear preference was witnessed for the BJP amongst the savarna Thakur/Rajput and Brahmin voters, reflecting their support for Narendra Modi, several others expressed clear discontent with the state’s chief executive, Jai Ram Thakur, for his underperformance.

All of these factors is likely to remain relevant for the results today! These predictions showcase our strength and scale as an expert polling organisation which understands the pulse of Indian voters.”