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High-voltage poll campaign comes to an end in HP 

The high-voltage campaigning for the November 9 assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh came to an end with politicians making the last-ditch efforts…

High-voltage poll campaign comes to an end in HP 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Photo: SNS/File)

The high-voltage campaigning for the November 9 assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh came to an end with politicians making the last-ditch efforts to woo voters on Tuesday.

With no third alternative in the hill state, HP witnessed direct contest between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). And both the parties tried hard to lure voters with promises of development and other sops for almost all sections of society with senior leaders of both the parties jumping into the poll battle to secure win for their party.

Though it was the BJP that took lead in organising most number of rallies, around 200 by its star campaigners, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah. The BJP is hopeful of gaining power in the state going by the tradition of change of guard every five years.

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On the last day of campaigning, BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal addressed a rally in Jogindernagar while Union Home minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister Smriti Irani and Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat also addressed rallies.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Union ministers JP Nadda, Thawar Chand Gehlot and Bihar minister Mangal Pandey also campaigned for the party.

On the other hand, Congress party organised as many as 110 rallies, most of which were addressed by 83-year-old CM Virbhadra Singh.

For Congress, party vice president Rahul Gandhi, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Randeep Surjewala, Sachin Pilot, Sheila Dikshit, former CMs Harish Rawat among others campaigned for the party. The BJP leaders sought votes in the name of development under the PM Modi, and also targeted the Himachal government for “rampant corruption” in the state.

The BJP leaders including the PM targeted Virbhadra for occupying CM’s post while on bail. On the other hand, Congress leaders sought votes on the plank of development and other people-centric policies of the government. All 68 assembly constituencies of the state would go for polling on 9 November in which over 50-lakh voters would decide the fate of 338 candidates.

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