Cong will return to power in HP under Virbhadra: Ambika Soni

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh would lead Congress in the next Assembly election and the party would return to power in the state after the polls, AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni said here today.

Talking to mediapersons after a marathon meeting of Himachal Pradesh Congress committee (HPCC), she said the Virbhadra-led government was "doing well and 90 per cent of the poll promises have been fulfilled in the state and the remaining would be implemented before December 25 when the government completes four years in office".

She said there were no differences within the party and the government and the organisation were working in close coordination.
 

Soni said winning the Assembly election was the "only goal of the party" and urged the party workers to work "wholeheartedly for making the 'mission repeat' successful".

She said there would be no quota system in allocation of party tickets and party observers would visit the state ahead of the ticket distribution and get feedback about the winning prospects of the candidates.

Replying to a question, she ruled out any major change in the HPCC and said that minor organisational changes was a routine process.

She said the Congress party had "hailed the surgical strikes by Army but BJP is trying to derive political mileage out of it, which is not fair".

Virbhadra said the abolition of Planning Commission has "hit" the interests of the states as NITI Ayog has "no comprehension" about their needs.

He took exception to the remarks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Mandi that the 14th Finance Commission had devolved Rs 72,000 crore to the state government but it had not utilised the funds, and said the allocation had been made by 14th Finance Commission for next five years and the government had so far received only two instalments.

He said the Centre has done "no favour" to Himachal Pradesh as all the states got higher allocation of funds from 14th Finance Commission.

HPCC president Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu said there was "complete unity" in the party and full coordination between the party members and claimed the Congress would return to power after the next assembly polls.