The Hindu : Other States / Himachal Pradesh News : BJP challenges Congress to snap polls in Himachal

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Tuesday, Oct 26, 2004

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BJP challenges Congress to snap polls in Himachal

By Our Staff Correspondent

SHIMLA, OCT. 25. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Himachal Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, today mocked at the comments made by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh during his formal press conference yesterday on the Congress defeat in the recent State Assembly by-election from Guler. While ridiculing the Chief Minister's argument that it was a "sympathy wave" in favour of the BJP candidate that led to the Congress defeat, Mr. Dhumal asked, "Is it some new phenomenon discovered by Virbhadra Singh and initiated in Himachal politics?"

He said during the BJP's tenure the PCC president, Sant Ram, who was a sitting MLA from Bajnath, died, but his son lost the by-election by a margin of more than 7000 votes. He said no sympathy wave worked and it were the issues of untimely signing of the fiscal reforms MoU, rampant corruption, increasing unemployment, nepotism and the step motherly treatment given to the biggest district of Kangra by the present Government. He challenged Mr. Singh to a snap Assembly elections to test his popularity and check if it was only a sympathy wave. In just one-and- a-half year of his autocratic rule Mr. Virbhadra Singh has lost the confidence of people, Mr. Dhumal claimed.

The former Chief Minister said Mr. Singh should not ignore the findings of defeat in Guler by a three-member Congress committee. Instead of accusing BJP for everything he should take seriously the statement of his party's MP Chander Kumar who has declared that it was the defeat of Congress government and Congress party and not of his son who was fighting the bye-election.

While talking of "no transparency in the government functioning" Mr. Dhumal also supported the demand of some industrialists for a CBI inquiry who are alleging bungling in the allotment of industrial plots and licenses issued for the induction furnaces. He alleged a massive discrimination in filling of posts in JBT and Para teachers, bus conductors, pharmacists and veterinary staff, recently.

Defending the allotments of petrol pumps to his relatives during his term in office Mr. Dhumal said, the Chief Minister who is taking just Re. 1 as salary should disclose how he is running his household and other paraphernalia. He said his party is preparing a list of Himachal Ministers who have been allotted petrol pumps and gas agencies in the past few years.

Mr. Dhumal said the debate on this issue should go to the people and conditions should be laid that relatives of persons in public life should not be allotted petrol pumps. He said everybody is not a feudal lord like Mr. Singh and has a right to earn his livelihood.

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BJP challenges Congress to snap polls in Himachal