Congress steps up efforts to win Mandi LS byelection

Tribune News Service

Mandi, August 23

The Congress held a Yuva Sammelan here today to gear up the youth to work hard at the grassroot level to ensure party candidate victory in the Mandi Lok Sabha byelection. The BJP and the Congress have stepped up efforts to win the election.

The sammelan was attended by senior Congress leaders like Sanjay Dutt, co-incharge in Himachal, HPCC president Kuldeep Rathore, former minister Kaul Singh Thakur, Congress MLA from Shimla Gramin Vikramaditya Singh, former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sohan Lal Thakur, District Congress Committee president Prakash Chaudhari and others.

Sloganeering by supporters

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• Cong leaders have tried to show their strength
• Each leader entered the venue with supporters
• Kaul Singh, MLA Vikramaditya Singh and HP Youth Congress vice-president Yadupati Thakur were lifted on shoulders by their supporters at the venue
• The Youth Congress leader Amarpreet Lally and HP Youth Congress president Nigam Bhandari were seen requesting the workers to stop raising slogans
• Supporters of Kaul Singh raised slogans as ‘Himachal Ka Neta kaisa Ho, Thakur Kaul Singh Jaisa ho’ in front of the stage

Addressing Youth Congress workers, national in-charge of the Indian Youth Congress Krishna Allavaru said, “During the BJP regime at the Centre, the inflation had gone up manifold, which is directly impacting the life of the common man. The prices of petrol and diesel have touched new high. Similarly, the price of cooking gas cylinder has increased .”

Congress MLA Virkamaditya said the BJP had divided people on the name of caste and it was time to give it a befitting reply.

Kaul Singh Thakur targeted Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur by saying, “Jai Ram Thakur is an accidental Chief Minister, who is putting the state under heavy debt.”

Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri said the BJP government had failed on all fronts and now people were looking up to the Congress as a ray of hope.

HPCC president Kuldeep Rathore urged them to work collectively to dethrone the BJP. Sanjay Dutt said the youth had potential to ensure change the power.