Congress Terms BJP’s Mandi Rally As A ‘Flop Show’

Shimla: Squabbling over ticket distribution of election candidates’ notwithstanding, the congress party today dismissed the unexpected heavy turnout at the BJP’s Mandi rally that was addressed by party president Rajnath Singh yesterday, as a ‘flop show.’Party spokesman Kuldeep Rathore, rushing back from Delhi in a hastily convened media briefing said “the BJP’s election campaign had failed to take off and was a setback to the party as the turnout at the rally was unimpressive.”

He added ‘it was a flop show for the BJP had given the impression by calling it a ‘yuva garjana’ that it was going to be a youth rally. But only old faces were visible on the stage and not a single issue pertaining to the youth was raised from the platform. No youth leader even addressed the gathering.”

Taking offense to BJP asking the election commission for de-recognizing the congress party in Himachal, Rathore said “Satyapal Jain seeking de-recognition of congress was illogical. If any party needed to be disenfranchised it was the BJP, especially after a television expose had shown the role chief minister Narender Modi played in the communal riots follwing the Godhra incident.”

About the list of candidates for elections, the party spokesman said that the party would release the names within two days. The party manifesto was in its finals stages and would be declared soon, he added.

Meeting of the party’s manifesto committee was held at Delhi yesterday and is being given final shape, he said.

Regarding the campaign he said party president Sonia Gandhi and the newly appointed general secretary Rahul Gandhi would be the star campaigners in the state.

Ravinder Makhaik

As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.

In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.