Former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh made Congress campaign committee head

SHIMLA: Former chief minister Virbhadra Singh has been made Congress's campaign committee chairman. Virbhadra was heading the committee during the assembly election held in 2017. Decision of Congress high command has left the supporters of Virbhadra in jubilant mood, as earlier there were attempts to sideline him.
With his appointment as chairman, Virbhadra will now be responsible for spearheading party's campaign in the state.Virbhadra enjoys mass support across the state and ignoring him was not an option, sources said. AICC incharge for the state, Rajni Patil, will head the coordination committee, while state president Kuldeep Singh Rathore will head the election committee. In all, five committees have been formed to oversee the election arrangements in the state.
A meeting of newly constituted co-ordinaton committee and election committee will be held on February 4. All the applications for Lok Sabha elections will be scrutinised in the election committee meeting and the panel will be sent to the high command.
In 2014, Congress had lost election on all four seats and now amid intensified factionalism and rivalry among its state leaders, it is facing the challenge of reclaiming these seats from BJP.
The other committees formed include publicity committee, to be headed by former minister and senior party leader G S Bali, media coordination committee, to be headed by Naresh Chauhan. There will also be a six-member election management team. Congress leaders and workers from all four parliamentary constituencies, who are interested in contesting in the coming election on Congress's symbol, should submit the application by January 31.
Those interested to contest will have to pay a fee of Rs 50, 000 for Kangra, Mandi and Hamirpur unreserved parliamentary constituencies, while a fee of Rs 35,000 is required for Shimla reserved parliamentary constituency.