The BJP will win both the lower and upper parts of Himachal Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on November 6, 2022 ahead of the Assembly polls on November 12.
During an election rally in Kangra district, Mr. Shah also took a swipe at the poll guarantees given by the Congress in its manifesto.
The State is divided into upper and lower Himachal. While Mandi, Kullu, Shimla, Solan, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Sirmaur and Chamba form upper Himachal, the lower parts of the state comprise Chamba, Una, Kangra Bilaspur and Hamirpur. Traditionally, the Congress has been a strong contender in the upper parts of the state.
Interestingly, political leaders and supporters in the hill State generally make their inclination clear through their Himachali cap or topi. While the BJP leaders wear red caps, the Congress members wear green topis.
"This time, red topi will be the BJP and green topi will also be the BJP," Mr. Shah said, claiming that the saffron party will trounce the Congress in its bastion.
Alleging that the Congress was involved in corruption during its tenure, Mr. Shah said, "Who will believe in their guarantees? They ruled for 10 years but only indulged in big scams. Now they are making guarantees to befool the innocent people of Himachal Pradesh." Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah said his stature had grown globally.
The Home Minister claimed that when Indian students were stranded in Ukraine during its war with Russia, Mr. Modi had called up presidents of the two countries and asked them to stop the war for a couple of days so that Indians could be evacuated.
"This is unprecedented for the world. Our students were evacuated safely," Mr. Shah said.
The Home Minister also made a mention of the development work and government initiatives like Himcare health scheme and Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure safe drinking water.
Lauding Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Mr. Shah said the state attracted an investment of Rs 44,000 crore under his leadership.
The Home Minister has been holding a series of rallies in the state on Sunday as only six days are left for the polling.
