With BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi having already sounded the poll bugle in Himachal Pradesh, Congress workers and leaders are a dejected lot with the postponement of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s rally.
Gandhi was to address a rally at police ground Dharamshala on March 8 on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The party had almost prepared the arrangements and over 50,000 people were mobilised from different areas and Congress workers were expecting that Gandhi’s rally will set the ball rolling for general elections in the state.
“We have received a communiqué from the Rahul Gandhi’s office on Tuesday saying that he will not be available for rally on March 8 due to some prior engagement,” said State Congress spokesperson Naresh Chauhan. He added that the party had almost completed its arrangements for the rally and AICC general secretary and in-charge of the State Ambika Soni was also scheduled to arrive at Dharamshala to oversee the arrangements.
Chauhan said that with the postponement of the rally, Soni’s visit also stands cancelled. “New dates are likely to be announced soon,” he said. Rally of Rahul Gandhi at Kangra, which is the biggest district of the state, was scheduled and was considered to be a reply to Modi’s rally which was held at neighbhouring Hamirpur district at Sujanpur last month in which the attendance was massive. A senior leader of the party from Kangra, annoyed with the postponement of the rally, said that in the hilly state like Himachal Pradesh, it is difficult to mobilize people time and again and for past fortnight, they have been visiting different villages and panchayat to mobile people.
The BJP has already taken the lead by announcing candidates on three seats — Hamirpur, Kangra and Shimla and all of them have started campaigning aggressively in their respective constituencies. “Congress has already lagged behind in announcing tickets as BJP and their candidates are already campaigning even before the announcements of polls. Now, the postponement of rally would further affect the morale of party workers,” said a state minister who was entrusted with overseeing the arrangement of rally.