'Can't neglect Virbhadra Singh and his family': Pratibha Singh after Himachal win

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 8 (ANI): Leading the Congress' to a hard-fought victory over the BJP in the Assembly polls and seen as the party's prime contender for chief ministership, Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh on Thursday said one cannot neglect the former CM's legacy as the party fought the polls in his name.
Speaking ANI, the Congress state chief said, "The MLAs will choose their leader. They will make the best decision which will be conveyed to the party's high command."
She was, however, quick to clarify that she was not putting forward her name for the chief minister.
"I am not saying that I am in the race for the chief minister. But we have won this poll in the name of the late Virbhadra Singh. You can't neglect him and his family," she said.
On why 'Chandigarh' was chosen specifically as the location for a meeting with the victorious Congress MLAs, she said, "Chandigarh is convenient for everyone to reach, which is why the meeting of our winning MLAs will be conducted there."
"We are not scared as we have won the election fair and square," she said.
Confirming that all votes had been counted, the Election Commission on Thursday late evening said that Congress bagged a total of 40 seats in the Assembly, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finished at 25 seats.
The Independents won three seats while the AAP failed to open its account in the state.
In terms of vote share in Himachal, Congress was only marginally ahead of the BJP with 43.88 per cent of votes. The BJP finished a close second bagging 42.99 per cent of the total votes polled.
The rest garnered a 10.4 per cent vote share in the hill-state.
The poll victory for the Congress was the latest instance of Himachal living up to its time-honoured tradition of noting voting back the incumbent. (ANI)