Shimla, Aug. 23 -- The show of unity turned into a show of strength during the "Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod" campaign, organised in Himachal, when supporters of chief minister Sukhivinder Singh Sukhu and PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh started sloganeering in favour of their respective leader. The state Congress leaders had reached Rajiv Bhawan Shimla for the campaign. In the presence of Congress in-charge Rajani Patil, both factions tried to outdo each other in support of their respective leaders, which forced Himachal Pradesh Congress committee chief Pratibha Singh to briefly pause her speech. It continued for about 10 minutes. The situation calmed only after intervention by AICC co-incharge Chetan Chauhan, who appealed to party workers to raise slogans in support of the party instead. The rift was witnessed at the meeting held at the party headquarters to muster support for the "Vote Chor, Kursi Chod" campaign, which is part of the Congress nationwide protest against alleged electoral malpractices by the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Speaking on the incident, HPCC chief said the slogan shouting reflected a "show of strength" from supporters of both PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh and CM Sukhvinder Sukhu. "This kind of enthusiasm should be visible in the future as well," Pratibha Singh said, adding that "Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has exposed the vote theft. The BJP indulged in electoral malpractices during the Lok Sabha elections, and the Congress will take this issue to every village." To chalk out the strategy for this, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was convened in Shimla, on Friday morning, by Rajani Patil following which the meeting of party leaders and supporters was held at the party office. After the party meeting, CM Sukhu said the Congress party will run a signature campaign up to the block level. The rally also saw signs of poor coordination, with journalists walking out after Gagret MLA Rakesh Kalia told them, "This is a Congress programme, not a programme for the media." Traffic congestion was reported on Cart Road and Combermere Bridge, where VIP and police vehicles were parked in no-parking zones Speaking during the event, Rajani Patil strongly criticised the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of systematically attempting to silence the voice of the Opposition. She said that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party demanded a discussion on the issue of electoral fraud (SIR) during the monsoon session of Parliament, but the central government evaded accountability and refused to engage. She stated, "Just as Yogi Adityanath uses bulldozers in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is using institutional bulldozers to crush the opposition's voice at the Centre." Chief minister Sukhu said that Rahul Gandhi is leading a determined fight to safeguard the democratic rights of voters. "Congress party remains united and strong, in contrast to the BJP, which he claimed is divided into five factions all engaged in power struggles," he remarked. The appointment of state Congress president as well as Congress reorganisation dominated the party meeting called solely to chalk out the strategy to take "Vote Chor, Kursi Chhod" campaign to block level. Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has been lying defunct since November last year after party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge dissolved the committee on November 6, 2024, along with the district and block units. Although the party high command had retained Pratibha Singh as president, her tenure ended in April this year. Speaking to the media, Rajani said, "There is a procedure to form an organisation in the party and it will be done soon."...