Shimla, September 26: AICC in-charge of Himachal Pradesh affairs Rajni Patil said that the Congress has started preparations for the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in the state next year. She directed party office-bearers to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level and maintain direct coordination and communication with workers.
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan here on Friday, Patil said she had held meetings with the PCC, district presidents, party media representatives, frontal organisations and departmental office-bearers over the past two days to review their functioning and discuss several organisational issues.
She said that office-bearers who were unable to devote adequate time to organisational work would be replaced by energetic workers. District in-charges have been asked to regularly visit their respective districts and participate in organisational meetings. Blocks where committees have not yet been constituted have also been directed to complete the process at the earliest.
Patil said the Congress organisation and the state government were working in close coordination.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s nationwide “Yuva Samvad–Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign, she said the programme was receiving significant support from youth and students. She said the campaign had also been launched in Himachal Pradesh to make students aware of their rights. She termed paper leaks a serious issue affecting the future of the country’s youth and students and accused the BJP-led Central government of failing to address the problem effectively.
Patil also raised questions over the impartiality of the Election Commission, alleging that it was functioning under the influence of the BJP. She said Congress was taking the issue of alleged “vote theft” to the people.
She announced that Congress workers would hold demonstrations across all districts of Himachal Pradesh on September 28 against alleged vote theft, in support of their demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Patil further alleged that the Modi government was acting under pressure from the United States and criticised the imposition of additional charges on UPI and online payments, saying such charges would adversely affect common and economically weaker sections.
