Shimla: Celebrations broke out at the Congress Party headquarters in New Delhi as the grand old party heads towards forming the government in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh. The party on Thursday won 35 seats in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, leading in 5. The ruling BJP won 23 seats in the polls and leading in 2. The independents won three seats.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said that there is no neck-to-neck fight in the state and the Congress is heading towards an absolute majority and form a stable govt. "No Operation Keechad will work and neither will we allow it," he added.
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said that Congress was hopeful to form a government in the state. "We can see it happening," he said while Congress maintains its lead. Speaking about the alleged poaching attempts by the BJP to form government in cases of the tight contest he said, "We will have to take care of our friends as BJP can do anything and go to any level." Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur won in the Seraj assembly constituency in Himachal Pradesh by more than 20,000 votes over Chet Ram of the Congress.
The Congress is sending Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, senior leaders Bhupinder Hooda and Rajeev Shukla to Himachal Pradesh on Thursday as the party may form the government in the state, going by latest trends. "The party is sending two observers -- Hooda and Baghel -- along with me. We will be travelling in some time to Himachal today," Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said. "Though the results are still coming in but it is a victory of the people. With the blessings of God, if the Congress wins, we will do everything possible for the interest of the people of Himachal Pradesh. Priyanka ji (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) campaigned a lot, she worked really hard," he added.
The results of the elections will reveal whether the BJP's all-out personalised campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to buck the 'alternative government' trend has worked or not. For the opposition Congress, however, a victory in Himachal is much-needed for its revival, as it has seen a spate of electoral losses in the last few years.
Himachal Pradesh has not returned any incumbent government to power in the last nearly four decades. About 76.44 percent of voters had exercised their franchise in the assembly polls held on November 12.
