Kangra: Himachal Pradesh Congress is confident to retain Fatehpur assembly constituency in the forthcoming bye-elections.

The seat fell vacant after the demise of Sujan Singh Pathania.

Congress in-charge of Fatehpur assembly Madan Lal Chaudhary has claimed the party has a bright chance to retain the seat and its workers are active and connecting with electorates with an agenda of development.

“Congress will win on the plank of development and work carried out by the party leaders in the segment,” Chaudhary said.

Riding high on the development projects carried out by the Congress leaders and infighting within the BJP – besides that grand old party would also try to in-cash sympathy votes as well. Congress will also target BJP on price rise and farmer plight.

Meanwhile, the party hasn’t declared its candidate. Party, most likely, can field Bhawani Pathania, son of late Sujjan Singh Pathania. However, there are three other claimants for the party ticket as well.

For congress, Fatehpur assembly constituency bye-elections won’t be a cake-walk. And if BJP succeeded in giving a consensus candidate for the election, Congress will need to toil hard to retain the seat.     

In the 2017 assembly poll, Congress candidate had won by a very thin margin of 1287 votes despite contesting two strong rebels from the BJP. Of 80,797 total votes, 58,665 electoral use their franchises of which Congress candidate received 18,962 votes, BJP Kripal Parmar 17,678, while BJP rebel Baldev Thakur got 13,090 and former Minister Dr Rajan Sushant polled 6,205 votes. 329 electorates had opted for the NOTA option.