Himachal Pradesh Elections 2022 | 'For BJP's Mission Repeat, we have Mission Delete': Congress confident of victory

Former Himachal Pradesh Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore has exuded confidence that his party will return to power in the poll-bound state, saying that “people want change”. 

“We are winning for sure. People want change. For BJP’s Mission Repeat, we have Mission Delete,” Rathore told The Indian Express in an interview. 

61-year-old Rathore, who is making his electoral debut from Theog constituency, the centre of the apple farmers’ protests that rocked the state, said that the apple belt has been completely ignored by the BJP. 

“The state apple industry is worth Rs 5,000 crore. It generates employment and strengthens the state economy. It was the only bright spot during the pandemic and it is not getting the required attention. The present government has stopped the subsidy on fungicides, which apple growers use. An apple carton is attracting 18 per cent GST now,” Rathore told The Indian Express. 

“Then there is Mr (Gautam) Adani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s industrialist friend. He has constructed a controlled atmosphere store in the area. He buys apples for Rs 70-72 per kg and sells them for Rs 250-300 per kg. There is total exploitation of apple growers,” he added. 

He also said that Mallikarjun Kharge’s victory in the party presidential election proved that there is internal democracy in the party. However, the Gandhis will continue to be the unifying force, he added. 

On Saturday, the Congress released its third list of four candidates for the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls.

The Congress renominated sitting MLA Jagat Singh Negi from the Kinnaur-ST seat and fielded Yadwinder Goma from the Jaisinghpur-SC constituency. Himachal Youth Congress chief Nigam Bhandari had bid for the party's nomination from Kinnaur.

The Congress fielded Bhuvneshwar Gaur from the Manali seat and renominated old-timer Kirnesh Jung from the Ponta Sahib constituency. With this, the Congress has announced all but one candidates for the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh.

Voting for the 68 assembly seats in the hill state is scheduled for November 12 and the counting of votes will take place on December 8. The last date for the filing of nominations is October 25.

The Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP in the hill state, where the Congress and the BJP have had alternate governments in the last many decades.