Confident Himachal will support us, truth will prevail: Priyanka Gandhi

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly by-polls to be held simultaneously in Himachal Pradesh, Congress general-secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday expressed confidence that the people of the state would support her party and truth would prevail.

She said on the one hand, there was the BJP's pursuit of power by using money and agencies, destroying democracy in the process, and on the other, there was the Congress' resolve to work tirelessly for people with truth, courage and patience.

In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka said, "I met all leaders of the Congress party in Himachal Pradesh. I am proud of their unity, hard work, courage to contest elections strongly and their dedication to the people.

"On the one hand, there is the BJP's empire of fear, greed and lies. The pursuit of power through money power and agencies is a politics that destroys democracy. On the other hand, Congress has the resolve to work tirelessly for people with truth, courage and patience. I have full confidence that the public will support us and truth will prevail."

In Himachal Pradesh, bypolls to six assembly seats will be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha elections on 1 June. The assembly bypolls in Himachal Pradesh were necessitated after the disqualification of Congress MLAs.

Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats — Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla and Kangra. The BJP won all four seats in 2019. Later, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh snatched Mandi from the BJP in a by-poll necessitated in 2021 by the death of incumbent MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

Congress sources had earlier said Priyanka played a "pivotal" role in protecting the people's mandate in Himachal Pradesh, remaining in constant touch with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, and senior leaders "to foil" the BJP's 'Operation Lotus' in February.

Priyanka was also the face of the Congress' campaign in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections of 2022.