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Himachal Pradesh polls: Congress will win with handsome majority, says Sushil Kumar Shinde

Sushil Kumar Shinde also said that Sonia Gandhi's relationship with the Congress and India cannot be broken.

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As in-charge of poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, former Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has an important task at hand --ensure that Congress wins Himachal Pradesh assembly elections again. Shinde has welcomed the imminent elevation of Rahul Gandhi as Congress President but believes Sonia Gandhi's relationship with the Congress party cannot be broken. Sushil Kumar Shinde spoke to Kartikeya Sharma on Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. Here are excerpts:

Q: Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as Congress President is imminent. How do you see this generational change?
A: We all welcome it and in fact, I would say that we were waiting for this occasion. Even the Congress Working Committee has passed a resolution asking Rahul Gandhi to be made President of the Congress Party. The resolution was sent to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and she has rightly indicated that he would be elevated soon.

Q: What role do you see for Sonia Gandhi post-Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as President of the Congress Party?

A: Sonia Gandhi has been the President of the Congress Party for the longest time. Her relationship with the party and country cannot be broken.

 
Q: You are in charge of poll-bound Himachal Pradesh and it is being said that the incumbent Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh called you a tourist. Is it correct?
A: There is nothing like this. Even if he said something like this then I would dismiss it as a joke. He is a good friend of mine and this is all I have to say.
 
Q: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi took a meeting today and a presentation was made to him on elections in Himachal Pradesh. is it correct?
A: There was no presentation made at his residence. All of us went to meet him and Rahul Gandhi asked us to work together and we assured him of that.
 
Q: Is it correct that Congress is hiring an agency for the Himachal Pradesh elections?
A: No. I’m not aware of any such suggestion.
 
Q: When will Congress declare seats in Himachal Pradesh?
A: We will do it soon. Once we receive the report from the scrutiny committee and the meeting takes place, tickets for Himachal Pradesh will be declared. We will try to finish our work before Diwali.
 
Q: There is a lot of factionalism in Congress unit of Himachal Pradesh. The sitting minister defected to Bhartiya Janata Party? Sukhram wasn’t allowed to sit on the stage and it is being cited as a reason for his defection?
A: There is no factionalism in the Congress Party. Even earlier people have left the Congress Party. I don’t want to comment further on this issue.
 
Q: Can Congress win Himachal Pradesh again?
A: People talk about anti-incumbency and constant rotation of power between Congress and BJP in Himachal Pradesh. I disagree. I have travelled through HP and the feedback I received from the public is that Chief Minister has worked well. I believe that we will come back with a handsome majority.
 
Q: You effected a generational change in Maharashtra and Ashok Chavan could become the Chief Minister. Have you failed to do that in Himachal Pradesh?
A: It depends. Maharashtra’s case was different. Even in my case, I got the party back to power in Maharashtra but I was sent away as Governor of Andhra Pradesh. Later I was recalled to Delhi as a minister. Virbhadra is contesting the assembly election for the 7th time. HP is a different case and anyways, Congress Vice President has already declared his candidature as the Chief Ministerial candidate.
 
Q: What is your advice to senior leaders? Should all of them start playing the role of mentors?
A: I don’t think Rahul Gandhi needs mentoring. Even Indira Gandhi was once also called kathputli (string puppet)  once. Things changed later.
 
Q: Don’t you think that corruption cases against the Chief Minister have become an electoral issue in Himachal Pradesh?
A: Opposition has raised this issue but I don’t want to comment on it.

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