Hamirpur, January 19
Mr Virbhadra Singh, former HP Chief Minister and senior Congress leader, is averse to a compromise with the Himachal Vikas Congress. He said that the aim of the HVC was to keep its identity intact with the help of the Congress even as the HVC has not ruled out a pact with the Congress.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday evening, he said a majority of the party workers were opposed to any tie-up with the HVC in the ensuing elections as it would harm the Congress. Mrs Vidya Stokes, HP Congress chief, and Mr Anand Sharma, all-India spokesperson of the party, were also present at the press conference. He said that the HVC had lost faith of the masses and that was why it was trying to sail its boat across the river with the help of Congress party.

Mrs Stokes and Mr Virbhadra Singh denied any rift in the party over ticket and added that winnability, loyalty and honesty would be main criteria for ticket allocation in the next election.

However, Himachal Vikas Congress supremo Sukh Ram has not ruled out the possibility of a tie-up with the Congress.

Talking to mediapersons here last night, he said there were two options before him for the next elections. Either a third front led by him would contest the elections jointly or this front would have an active support of the Congress.

Mr Sukh Ram, who completed his tour of all parts of the state, excluding those of tribal areas and addressed as many as 155 meetings, claimed that the people were in favour of the HVC and wanted to make him the next Chief Minister.

He said that his party would fight the next elections on the plank of debt-free government and employment to all.

NURPUR: The former PCC chief and chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Manifesto Committee, Mr Sat Mahajan, has termed the ‘vishvas yatra’ of the BJP a ‘betrayal yatra’.

Ridiculing the BJP for the yatra which entered Nurpur subdivision, Mr Mahajan in a statement today said that this yatra would culminate into a ‘farewell yatra’ of the Dhumal government which had duped and befooled every section of society in the state during the past five years.

He said announcements made by the Dhumal government at state as well as local levels had become victims of “betrayal”.

Mr Mahajan is a contender for the Congress ticket from Nurpur.