Sonia Gandhi to take call on changes in Himachal organisation: Rajeev Shukla

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 30

Rajeev Shukla, CWC member and party in-charge for Himachal, today said that AICC president Sonia Gandhi would take the final call on the issue of changes in the party organisation in Himachal.

“Sonia had a meeting with senior leaders from Himachal and took their feedback. What decision she will take, I cannot comment,” he said when asked whether the state Congress would see restructuring.

Shukla chaired a meeting of the coordination committee for the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) poll at the Congress office here. He remained dismissive of the possibility of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) impacting the elections in the state. “There will be several small parties that will try to make their presence felt in the Assembly elections in Himachal but in reality, they will only prove to be a spoilsport,” he said. He added that AAP would not have any impact on the Shimla MC and Assembly elections and the Congress would emerge victorious.

“What is so unusual about Arvind Kejriwal coming to Himachal. He goes to Gujarat, Punjab and elsewhere. He is free to go anywhere. However, AAP will not make much difference to Himachal politics,” said Shukla when asked about the road show of Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Mandi on April 6.

He said that the Congress was fully geared up for the Shimla MC poll and would unitedly take on the BJP. “Everyone must join hands to defeat the BJP in the Shimla MC poll. That is the way the Congress won all four byelections, including the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, last year and it will repeat its performance in the Shimla MC and Assembly elections,” he added.

Shukla said that suggestions should be sought from people for solving their problems. “Today, unemployment is the biggest issue. There is a dire need to create jobs and so the issue should be taken up prominently,” he urged the party workers.

He said that every leader must perform the duties entrusted to him with sincerity. “The message of the Congress’ victory in the byelections in Himachal had a countrywide impact as the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG were reduced. But once again after the BJP’s victory in five state Assembly elections, the prices of all commodities have risen,” he added.

CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, and MLAs Ramlal Thakur, Dhani Ram Shandil, Kuldeep Kumar and Harsh Mahajan were also present.

Cong will wrest Shimla MC from BJP: Rathore

The Congress is prepared for the elections in the state. The party is fully united and will wrest the Shimla Municipal Corporation back from the BJP. — Kuldeep Rathore, Cong president

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