New Delhi, January 23
Himachal Vikas Congress leader Sukh Ram has decided to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh from his traditional Mandi Sadar seat even as his negotiations with the Congress on a tie-up have reached an advanced stage.
Mr Sukh Ram, an MLA, who has moved court on his conviction in a corruption case, has been consulting his lawyers over the possibility of his contesting the elections. The lawyers, sources said, had told Mr Sukh Ram that there were precedences when sitting MLAs in similar situations had contested the elections. The lawyers have conveyed that while the legal provisions in his case were favourable, a lot depended on the discretion of the returning officer.
Mr Sukh Ram’s son Anil Sharma, MP, heads the Himachal Vikas Congress. It was being felt that Mr Sukh Ram would not contest the Assembly elections due the pending corruption case against him. Such a course, it was being felt, would impede negotiations on a tie-up, specially with the Congress. However, HVC sources here said both the Congress and BJP leaders had been told about Mr Sukh Ram’s intention to contest the elections.
Sources said Mr Sukh Ram had extensive discussions with senior Congress and BJP leaders in Delhi in the past two days. While he met AICC General Secretary Mohsina Kidwai yesterday, senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and O.P. Kohli met Mr Sukh Ram today. The HVC leader has extended his stay in the capital by a few days.
HVC sources said the BJP leaders had offered the HVC nearly 15 seats. However, they said the HVC was more keen on tie-up with the Congress with which its leaders had ``ideological similarity.’’ The sources said that among the issues to be sorted out with the Congress was the number of seats to be given to the HVC.
AICC leaders here said talks were being held with the HVC and state Congress leaders opposed to the tie-up had also assured the high-command that they would abide by its decision.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders from Himachal Pradesh had a series of meetings in Delhi over the selection of candidates. The sources said it had been decided to retain most of the sitting MLAs.
Among the MLAs whose names have not yet been cleared by the scrutiny committee are those from Arki and Paonta Sahib. The four-member scrutiny committee, comprising former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, PCC chief Vidya Stokes, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma and Mahila Congress chief Chandresh Kumari, met at Mr R K Dhawan’s residence in the morning. The party’s manifesto committee and campaign committee also met here today.
