The ruling Congress which had planned its ‘Vikas rally’ in response to BJP’s ‘Badla Badli’ rally at Shimla has decided to postpone it citing bad weather conditions and apple season which is in full swing.
BJP had held a massive rally on August 23 at Chora Maidan and held a Vidhan Sabha gherao against the mass scale transfer and postings during the seven months old Congress Government in the State.
looking at the success of BJP’s rally, Congress had hurriedly announced of holding a Vikas Rally at the same venue in which chief minister Virbhadra Singh was scheduled to be chief guest and was to address the rally.
Congress spokesperson Naresh Chouhan said that weather department had predicted bad weather conditions on August 30 and moreover Apple season is in full swing at Shimla due to which party president has postponed the scheduled rally.
“New date of the rally will be announced soon,” said Chouhan adding that scheduled rally does not stand cancelled but has only been postponed.
Sources in the party said that since the rally was hurriedly called, no elaborate arrangement had been made to mobilize the people leading to the cancellation.
“Since MlAs are busy with the monsoon session of Himachal Pradesh assembly and party does not want to hold a rally which has less participants than the BJP’s rally, it was decided to postpopne it,” a senior party leader said.
Chief minister Virbhadra Singh had on Tuesday said that the proposed rally is purely political and a reply to BJP’s rally and hoped that it will be a success.
Congress party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday held a review meeting of party office bearers and looking at the weather predictions and apple season, it was decided to postpone the scheduled rally.