BJP, Congress bank on old guards to woo voters

The Congress and the BJP are banking on the clout their old guards wield over voters to reap gains in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

The ruling Congress is relying heavily on 83-year-old Virbhadra Singh, a six-time Chief Minister and five-time Lok Sabha member.

Mr. Singh, who is contesting from Arki, has been addressing a series of rallies across the State over the past three weeks.

“Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is a very senior leader with mass appeal The people will re-elect the Congress because of the developmental works our government has undertaken in the state,” senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

The Congress’s senior most leader in the Mandi region, Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, 72, is contesting his ninth election.

The BJP has made 73-year-old Prem Kumar Dhumal its chief ministerial candidate. Mr. Dhumal, a two-time Chief Minister, enjoys a strong following in Hamirpur, Kangra, Una, Chamba, Solan and Mandi districts, which contribute a majority of the seats in the 68-member Assembly.