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Sunday,
January 26, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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HP has become model state: CM
BJP-HVC poll pact unlikely
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Govt flouting poll code: CPM Poll material distributed Nanda rules out talks with BJP Youth Cong urged to
target BJP leaders HC stays construction in Sadhupul Three youths buried alive 2 foundation stones ‘damaged’
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HP has become model state: CM Jaisinghpur, January 25 Earlier, he unfurled the National Flag and took salute at an impressive march past by the police, Home Guard jawans, traffic police and NCC cadets. In his address Mr Dhumal said Himachal had become a model state for other hill states with regard to development and added that per capita income in 1948, when it came into existence, was Rs 240 whereas it had now increased to Rs 18,920 in 2002-03. Highlighting the achievements of the state, Mr Dhumal said the literacy rate had increased from 7 per cent to 77 per cent. He said Himachal Pradesh, once known as the Apple State was on way to become the “fruit bowl” of the country. He said tapping tourism, hydroelectric potential, agriculture and horticulture was necessary to make it self-sufficient and added that there were vast possibilities of information technology and bio-technology development in the state. Prominent among those who were present the occasion were Health Minister J.P. Nadda, Technical Education Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi, Rajgir MLA, Attma Ram, state’s Chief Secretary Rajinder Bhattachrya and DGP A.K. Puri. A colourful cultural programme was also present on the occasion. The Chief Minister honoured Mr B.B. Kaushal, former Superintendent Engineer, PWD, from Sundernagar, Mr G.C. Sharma, youth coordinator, Hamirpur, Dr D.S. Chandel, Senior Medical Officer, Palampur, for rendering exemplary services in health and social services. |
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BJP-HVC poll pact unlikely Shimla, January 25 The HVC leadership did have talks with the senior BJP leaders but no viable proposal could be worked out for a pre-poll alliance. As such there was no serious proposal under the consideration of the high command to have any kind of electoral understanding with the coalition partner. The HVC is also talking to the Congress for an alliance. However, given the sharp differences between the rival factions headed by Ms Vidya Stokes and Mr Virbhadra Singh, the chances of a tie up are not very bright. HVC sources maintain that even if the party goes to the poll alone, it could have some kind of tacit understanding on certain seats to ensure the defeat of the BJP. The BJP will start the process of the election of party candidates for all 68 seats. A series of formal and informal meetings will be held from tomorrow. The state leadership will finalise its recommendations over the next three days, which will be forwarded to the Central Election Committee on January 28. The final meeting to decide the ticket will be held on January 29 at which the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, will also be present. The first list of candidates was likely to be released by the time the election notification is issued on January 31. There are indications that the party may deny ticket to some of the sitting legislators, including ministers. Factors like performance, image and winning prospects will be taken into consideration while deciding the candidates. Same criteria will also be applied to sitting legislators. The party is also trying to bring back some of the dissidents who have been organising “mitra milans”. Mr Dhumal has himself spoken to several of them and it is learnt that the party was even willing to grant Mr Narinder Thakur, son of late party stalwart Mr Jagdev Thakur, who was expelled for anti-party activities, from the Hamirpur seat. Given the sharp factionalism in the party distribution of ticket will not be an easy task and the choice of wrong candidates would mar the party’s electoral prospects. There is a slight shift in party’s strategy with regard to leaders to be invited for campaigning. There are wide differences between the Shanta Kumar and Dhumal factions on the extent to which the services of Mr Narinder Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister, be utilised in the campaign. The Shanta faction which forced the high command to remove Mr Modi as the in charge of party affairs in the state maintains that Mr Modi’s brand of Hindutva will not work in the state. As such he will be not the main campaigner, as announced earlier, but one of the many star campaigners ranging from the Prime Minister, Mr Advani to Ms Sushma Swaraj and Mr Shatrughan
Sinha. |
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PDP’s ‘soft policy may Talibanise J&K’ Shimla, January 25 Addressing a press conference here today, he said the events like killing a woman for not wearing a “burqua”, issuing fatwas against women doing jobs and forcing doctors of the minority community to leave the state clearly indicated that situation was fast deteriorating in Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to apprehensions of some Congress leaders that terrorists could strike in Himachal Pradesh during the election, Mr Jaitley said, the Congress should make its stand clear on terrorism and give an unambiguous answer whether it would enforce POTA if such a situation arose in a state ruled by it? He said the Congress, which had no real issues, was banking fully on the negative campaigning. It was following the hit and run policy to mislead the electorate. It had launched a slander campaign against Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, to evade a debate on the issue of development. The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, who made allegations against Mr Dhumal had used the hit and run policy successfully in Punjab but he could not fool the people every time. He came with a long list of Mr Parkash Singh Badal’s properties during the elections in Punjab but forgot about it after taking over as the Chief Minister. Now he was busy preparing the list of the assets of Mr Dhumal who had already given an offer to acquire his property. In case he failed to accept the offer he would be constrained to term him a “pathalogical” lier. Meanwhile, Mr Jaitley has ruled out the possibility of any electoral alliance with the HVC in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and said no such serious proposal was under the consideration of the party. He said the HVC Rajya Sabha member Anil Sharma son of HVC supremo Sukh Ram, had met him in this regard. |
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Govt flouting poll code: CPM Shimla, January 25 In a complaint to the commission faxed from here today, it pointed out that interviews for six posts of drivers, farash, mali and chowkidar in the Vidhan Sabha, which had been advertised on January 3 would be held on January 27 in a hurried manner. In another instance of violation of the code, a Chandigarh-based private company was recruiting 150 security personnels for Tanda Government Medical College at Kangra on contract basis in a clandestine manner, the fax alleged. The Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University had on the directions of the government illegally rusticated 23 students on political consideration, the CPM alleged. It urged the commission to stop the government from making these appointments. |
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Poll material distributed Shimla, January 25 She said electronic voting machines (EVMs) had already been distributed to the district election officers in June. As per the directions of the Election Commission of India, 100 per cent EVMs would be provided as reserve in the polling centres situated in the remote areas by the returning officers to the polling parties. Mrs Nanda said the first phase of distribution and collection of material had been completed successfully. |
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Nanda rules out talks with BJP Hamirpur, January 25 Talking to reporters, he said the time period given to the BJP ended today and that the Mitars would decide their future strategy after holding a meeting at Bilaspur. Mr Nanda, who was recently taken back into the BJP fold after meetings with Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and HP BJP chief, Jai Krishan Sharma, clarified that he had no faith in the BJP leadership of the state. The Mitars would expose the BJP and ensure its defeat in the coming elections. He said that the first list of their candidates would be released tomorrow. |
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Youth Cong urged to
target BJP leaders Shimla, January 25 Mr Wasnik, who was here to mobilise the youth wing of the party for the ensuing elections, said while talking about various scams and scandals, the activists should also focus on corruption as evident from assets allegedly accumulated by ministers and the petrol station allotment scam, in which a son and a nephew of the chief minister and other BJP leaders were reported to be involved. A strategy to effectively involve the youth congress in campaigning was finalised at the meeting which was attended by officer-bearers of block and district units of the party. It was decided that five to 10 youth congress workers would be made available at each polling booth for campaigning in close coordination with the party. Activists of the youth congress in the state will take a pledge on January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to oust the BJP government. They have also been asked to hoist the party flag atop their houses and on their vehicles. Mr Satyajit Gaikwad, Secretary of the AICC and in charge of Himachal Pradesh, who was also present at the meeting assured that he would plead with the high command for granting ticket to as many Youth Congress leaders as possible. |
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Gulab Singh to join BJP Shimla, January 25 Disclosing this here today Mr Arun Jaitley, BJP general secretary said that he met Mr Gulab Singh and invited him to join the party which he had accepted. Mr Gulab Singh is likely to join the party in the next few days. He was elected on Congress ticket but elected Speaker as BJP-sponsored candidate. The Congress had filed a petition against him. |
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BJP ticket for Kaushal sought Bilaspur, January 25 They presented a jeep to Mr Kaushal here so that he could meet the challenge” of the Congress candidate Ram Lal Thakur in his “mass contact programme. |
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HC stays construction in Sadhupul Solan, January 25 Responding to a writ petition filed by Mr Jagdish Raj, resident of Sadhupul village , near here, the court directed the Tourism Department, District Collector and SDM, Kandhaghat, not to commence any construction without the permission of the court till the disposal of the writ. Mr Jagdish Raj whose land measuring about 3.5 bigha was acquired by the Revenue Department for constructing an artificial lake after the Chief Minister made its announcement on December 25, 1998, has been running from pillar to post to get the compensation promised. But a team of scientists from Roorkee Engineering College and the state Geological Department declared the site non-feasible for the construction of an artificial lake following the testing of soil samples. But by then, the Chief Minister had already laid the foundation stone of the lake on Jagdish Raj’s land after it was acquired by the Revenue Department. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Bharat Khera, declared that the new project would be erected only on
government land and not on the plot acquired from Jagdish Raj. |
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Three youths buried alive Chamba, January 25 Deputy Commissioner Rahul Anand, Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav and District Fire Officer, Tilak Raj Chona along with police personnel and crew of the local Fire Station, reached the site. Mr Yadav said the bodies of the deceased had been extricated from the debris. He said the deceased had been identified as Madan (18), Milap (18) and Purushottam (21) of the Samra area in the district. Karan, who had encroached upon some shamlat land on the hillock, has been arrested. |
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2 foundation stones ‘damaged’ Hamirpur, January 25 Talking to reporters here last night, Mrs Thakur said it was the handiwork of those upset with her popularity and who wanted to harm her politically. She described these incidents as shameful and anti-people. No complaint in this respect has been made to the police. Mrs Anuradha Thakur, Hamirpur DC, said if a complaint was made, the law would take suitable action. |
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