Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to campaign in Himachal Pradesh from Nov 8-9

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will campaign for the party in Himachal Pradesh on November 8 and 9, sources said on Wednesday.

Party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has started her campaign for the party in the hill-state on October 31 while more leaders are expected to join.

Leaders like Bhupesh Baghel, Pratap Singh Bajwa, and Sachin Pilot have also campaigned for Congress in Himachal where it hopes to overthrow the ruling BJP.

Himachal Pradesh has never returned a party to power for a second consecutive term and the Congress is hoping that the voters will stick to the tradition while its rival BJP believes that the times are changing and there could be a second term for the party.

Sources said the party will soon finalise the districts Kharge will be visiting during his campaign. This will be Kharge’s first outing as Congress president on campaign.

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On Wednesday, Kharge upped the ante by saying, “BJP is in Himachal after seeing the crowd coming with the Congress. In panic, BJP leaders are calling Modi-ji a vaccine maker.”

“We are proud of our scientists whose vaccine has given protection to crores. The country has not forgotten how the Modi government has left people to die,” he tweeted.

The party is planning to release its manifesto on November 5.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to hit the campaign trail in the hill-state as he will continue to be part of the Kanyakumari to Kashmir ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

Congress is designing its campaign on anti-incumbency as well as issues like price rise while insisting that Thakur has become unpopular. However, internal strife and the house not in order have put brakes on Congress’ surge in Himachal this time.