The Congress said here on Monday that it would form a government in Himachal Pradesh as the results of the Assembly elections, scheduled to be announced on December 18, would be in its favour.
At a press conference, Sukhwinder Singh, Pradesh Congress Committee president, said all surveys pointed towards that, and thanked the voters for the large turnout.
Mr. Singh said that “perturbed by the GST norms, the business community of the State has largely voted in favour of the Congress this time”. Businesses had been disillusioned with the BJP and the Prime Minister, who had promised a lot to the people.
Unfulfilled promises of employment to youth, imposition of tough business conditions on traders and a huge increase in the price of LPG cylinders had resulted in people coming out in support of the Congress, he said.
Twin phases
He said the elections in the State should have been held in two phases, along with those in Gujarat.
The three tribal constituencies should have gone for earlier polls if weather was an issue, and polling in the remaining 65 seats could have been held along with the Gujarat Assembly polls in December.
Despite his repeated tussles with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who wanted his removal as chief of the Congress State unit before the elections, he gave credit for the canvassing done by the octogenarian leader.
He said the party would not tolerate any indiscipline. It had expelled rebel leaders and their supporters after notices and warnings.
The Congress on Sunday expelled some 30 activists for at least six years from various constituencies such as Shimla, Theog, Jaswan, Jawalamukhi, Sarkaghat, Dharamsala, Hamirpur, Kutlehar and Jogindernagar in Mandi.