Himachal BJP launches campaign for change

The BJP in Himachal Pradesh today launched a "Parivartan Yatra" - or campaign for change -- from its four parliamentary constituencies, urging the people to oust the Congress from the northern state.
BJP leaders called for removing the "corrupt, anti-people and incompetent" government of Virbhadra Singh and to make Himachal Pradesh "Congress-free" by voting the BJP to power in the coming assembly polls, slated to be held later this year.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Thakkar, with Himachal party chief Satpal Singh Satti, launched the Yatra from Mandi in the presence of Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, while Union minister Sripad Naik kicked off the campaign from Baijnath, with former chief minister and Kangra MP Shanta Kumar.

The leaders said the state was on the brink of bankruptcy, with developmental projects worth crores of rupees being announced without any budgetary provisions. But the chief minister, they added, was busy with the corruption cases that had been initiated against him.
The BJP, they claimed, would win over 50 seats in the 68 -member assembly.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, former Himachal chief minister P K Dhumal and Shimla MP Virender Kashyap flagged off the campaign from Haripurdhar in Sirmaur. Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda with party in-charge Mangal Pandey and Hamirpur MP, Anurag Thakur, kicked it off from Sri Naina Devi in Bilaspur district.