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Sonia's show to hit Himachal roads

By Kanwar Yogendra

SHIMLA, FEB. 28. After Uttar Pradesh, Orrisa and Haryana, it is the turn of Himachal Pradesh now for the so-called "road shows" of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. The party office announced here today that Ms. Gandhi would be coming next week to tour the three parliamentary constituencies of Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi. The exact dates of the mass contact programme would be announced later.

All these three constituencies were earlier won by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the remaining fourth constituency of Shimla was won by another NDA ally, the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) of Sukh Ram. The HVC candidate, Col. (retd) Dhani Ram Shandil, has already joined the Congress and talks are on with Mr. Sukh Ram also to support Congress in the Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Mr. Sukh Ram who is himself a MLA from the Mandi Sadar constituency is having a considerable influence in this whole district. His party had won 24 per cent votes from Mandi district in the Assembly elections in March 2003.

Mr. Sukh Ram is expected to announce his support, if everything goes well and as per calculations, for the Congress in the presence of Mrs. Gandhi during her tour in the constituency, according to party sources.

Surprisingly, Mr. Sukh Ram who is weighing his bargaining prospects to the end is also hobnobbing with the BJP for this constituency. The BJP, which has nothing to offer Mr. Ram in the state, might leave this seat to HVC in a State-wide alliance. BJP and HVC were partners in the previous Dhumal government in the State.

The Rajya Sabha term of Mr. Sukh Ram's son, Anil Sharma, is also coming to an end in April this year. His inclination towards Congress is also due to this aspect since the party, which is in a clear majority in the State, can send him again to the Upper House.

It should be reminded that the state PCC headed by Vidya Stokes is against any alliance or the entry of Mr. Sukh Ram into Congress while the other faction headed by Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, whose wife is fighting the elections from Mandi seat, is desperate to align with HVC supremo.

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