Rain may play spoilsport for Friday rallies of Modi, Rahul in Himachal

Shimla, May 9

Rain may mar proposed rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Himachal Pradesh on Friday.

The Meteorological Department here has issued a fresh yellow weather warning for May 10 and 11, predicting thunderstorm accompanied by hailstorm and gusty winds in the plains, lower and middle hills.

Modi and Rahul are scheduled to address rallies in Mandi and Una, respectively, on May 10.

The MeT office issues colour-coded warnings to alert the public ahead of severe or hazardous weather, which has the potential to cause damage, danger or widespread disruption to life.

Yellow is the least dangerous of the weather warnings. It indicates the possibility of severe weather over the next few days that could hit the normal life.

Modi is scheduled to address his maiden election rally in the state in support of sitting BJP MP Ramswaroop Sharma, who is pitted against former union telecom minister Sukh Ram's grandson Aashray Sharma.

The Mandi Lok Sabha seat is one of the most talked about seats in the state as BJP MLA Anil Sharma's son Aashray Sharma is fighting the Lok Sabha polls as a Congress candidate. Anil recently resigned from the HP cabinet.

Aashray Sharma had sought a BJP ticket from Mandi but after it was denied, he, along with his grandfather Sukh Ram, rejoined the Congress.

Rahul Gandhi will address an election rally in Una in support of party's Hamirpur   candidate Ram Lal Thakur, who is pitted against the sitting BJP MP Anurag Thakur, a three-time MP from the constituency. Ram Lal is the Congress MLA from Sri Naina Deviji assembly segment.  

Voting for all the four seats -- Shimla (SC), Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra - in the state will take place on May 19. PTI