Big jolt for Cong in Himachal as 26 leaders join BJP before assembly polls

The Congress has received a big jolt in Himachal Pradesh, just ahead of the Assembly polls in the hill state. As many as 26 leaders of the party, including former general secretary of the Pradesh Congress Committee, Dharampal Thakur Khand, joined the BJP on Monday.

Himachal will go to polls on November 12 and the votes will be counted on December 8.

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The leaders joined the saffron party in the presence of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and BJP’s Sudhan Singh, in charge of BJP state elections. BJP candidate from Shimla, Sanjay Sood, was also present on the occasion.

Those who jumped ship

ANI reports said apart from Dharampal Thakur Khand, those who switched sides are former secretary Akash Saini, former councillor Rajan Thakur, former district vice-president Amit Mehta, Mehr Singh Kanwar, Youth Congress president Rahul Negi, Jai Maa Shakti Social Sansthan president Joginder Thakur, Naresh Verma, Chamyana ward member Yogendra Singh, taxi union member Rakesh Chauhan, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage Shimla president Dharmendra Kumar, Virendra Sharma, Rahul Rawat, Sonu Sharma, Arun Kumar, Shivam Kumar, and Gopal Thakur.

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Others who reportedly joined the leaders were Chaman Lal, District Congress Committee secretary Devendra Singh, Mahendra Singh, former general secretary of Youth Congress Munish Mandla, Balkrishna Bobby, Sunil Sharma, Surendra Thakur, Sandeep Samta, and Ravi.

BJP ‘confident of victory’

Welcoming them to the party, CM Thakur said: “Let us work together for the historic victory of the BJP,” he said.

Earlier, BJP national president JP Nadda had expressed confidence in the party’s victory in the Himachal assembly elections. He said the people of the state trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lauded CM Thakur for his governance in the state.

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“We are conducting a public outreach programme in Solan. People are excited and have trust in PM Modi. CM Jairam Thakur has implemented policies on the ground in the state,” he said in Solan near state capital Shimla on Monday.

(With agency inputs)