Stokes to stay CLP leader,Thakur to have say in tickets

Thakur was present in the meeting of the party’s publicity committee headed by former HPCC president Viplove Thakur.

Two Delhi-based companies were invited to make their presentations on party’s poll slogans,hoardings,billboards,wall writings,posters,banners,pamphlets,ad design and snippets for electronic media including radio.

Hoardings and posters will mainly have pictures of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi,AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Only two local leaders — Virbhadra Singh and Vidya Stokes — will have their photos on party posters. Initially. photographs of Thakur were also part of the campaign material.

The party plans to have another round of meetings in Delhi where AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh — who heads the media and campaign publicity cell — will oversee the party’s campaign model for Himachal Pradesh.

“My focus is to ensure that Congress doesn’t bank only on negative publicity. It will be largely based on positive campaign as Congress proposes the state’s overall development,which had come to a standstill despite the party having laid a strong base,” Viplove Thakur told The Indian Express.

Meanwhile,Virbhadra Singh has decided to convene a meeting of the Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) to start shortlisting names of candidates. The block and district Congress committees have already sent their recommendations to the party.

“There are a huge number of applications even from places where the Congress has sitting MLAs. I want the process to begin early so that tickets are finalised soon,” said the PCC president.

Virbharda,however,was tight-lipped over his own plans. “If the high command wants I will definitely contest,” he told mediapersons.