Having taken over the reins of Congress as its President, Rahul Gandhi will visit Shimla on Friday to review the party’s performance in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
Himachal Pradesh Congress spokesperson Naresh Chauhan said Rahul Gandhi would land at the Jubbarhatti airport and hold a meeting with the newly elected legislators of the Congress. All the party candidates who faced a defeat in the Assembly elections would also attend the meeting with the AICC President. The heads of District Congress Committees have also been asked to attend the meet.
The new Congress president has shown concern on the electoral debacle in Himachal Pradesh and he had earlier sent AICC General Secretary and Himachal Congress In-charge Sushil Kumar Shinde and co-inchare Ranjeeta Ranjan to hold meetings with party legislators and leaders to analysis the reasons of party candidates in the Assembly elections.
Many defeated candidates had cited the party infighting as major cause of their debacle in the assembly elections. Some of the party candidates have raised a demand for strict action against those leaders in the party, who worked against the party’s interest and spoiled the chances of party candidates.
Some of the defeated candidates have apparently produced audio-visual evidence against some Congressmen, who allegedly worked against the interests of the party candidates.
Such a complaint has been filed by Deepak Rathore, who lost from Theog seat, where CPM’s Rakesh Singha has made a entry in the present assembly. Rathore produced audio-visual evidence against party leaders, supporting his rival candidate Singha. Some senior leaders, defeated in the elections have reported attributed their defeat to rebellion from party leaders, and they have alleged hand of senior party leaders for inciting such rebel.
Party rebels dented the chances of Congress candidates on six to seven assembly segments as even some cabinet ministers could not save their seats due to internal strife.
Sources said former HPCC president Kaul Singh Thakur who had lost assembly election from Darang and his daughter Champa Thakur from Mandi had also lodged complaints against senior party leader for putting a party rebel against them. Kaul Singh Thakur had blamed inner ridge and backing of the rebel candidate, Puran Thakur, as the reason for his defeat.
In Shimla Urban constituency, Congress nominee Harbhajan Singh Bhajji was pushed to the third position, as rebel Congress nominee Harish Janartha was openly getting support from Congress office bearers. Janartha had also claimed to have backing of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Similarly, party faced rebels in Nalagharh, Rampur, Shahpur and Kangra assebly segments.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, will welcome Rahul Gandhi at Jubbarhatti airport. Rahul Gandhi will hold deliberations with party leaders in two sessions at state party headquarters.