Rakesh Kalia, Vivek Sharma begin election campaign in Gagret, Kutlehar

Our Correspondent

UNA, APRIL 29

After the Congress announced candidates for elections to the two Assembly by-elections in Una district, Rakesh Kalia and Vivek Sharma formally launched their election campaign yesterday from Gagret and Kutlehar segments.

Rakesh Kalia, who remained MLA of Chintpurni segment twice and was elected from Gagret once, had earlier joined the BJP in 2022 after being denied the Congress ticket. He is pitched against Chaitanya Sharma of the BJP, a Congress rebel.

Vivek Sharma had contested the Kutlehar Assembly elections in 2017 and had lost to Virender Kanwar of the BJP. The Himachal Pradesh Congress had passed a single name resolution in the favour of Vivek Sharma for the by-election ticket.

Vivek kicked off his election campaign by organising a car rally from Kotla Kalan village on the outskirts of Una city to Bangana, the sub divisional headquarters. Hundreds of party workers and sympathisers joined the rally, shouting slogans in favour of the candidate and the Congress party.

At Bangana, addressing a public meeting, Vivek Sharma called upon the voters to shun those who change allegiances and degrade democratic system. He said the people should vote for the Congress since it had been voted to power by the people of the state, but the BJP tried to destabilise the government. He takes on Devinder Bhutto of the BJP, who is also a Congress rebel.

Rajesh Kalia, who had criticised state Congress in-charge Rajiv Shukla when he was denied Congress ticket in 2022, said he had been misinformed and misguided at that time. He had re-joined the Congress party a few days ago at the office of Rajiv Shukla in New Delhi. He preferred to start his campaign by organising ward level meetings.

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