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Sunday,
February 16, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Amarinder
Singh summoned in defamation case LJP for
probe into Dhumal’s assets List
achievements, BJP dares Cong Rebels
will withdraw: Cong Demands
met, VHP to support BJP |
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KEY CONSTITUENCIES
CHINTPURNI & SANTOKHGARH KEY CONSTITUENCIES
CHAMBA & BANIKHET
Trader’s sons assault ETO
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Amarinder
Singh summoned in defamation case Shimla, February 15 The three Congress leaders were directed to appear before the court in person on March 15. The order was passed after recording the evidence of Mr Dhumal and various witnesses. The first case has been filed in respect of the speeches made by Capt Amarinder Singh and Mr Vora at a rally in Hamirpur on January 18 in which they alleged that Mr Dhumal had amassed assets to the tune of Rs 25 crore through questionable means. The second case has been filed against Mr Anand Sharma who released a list of assets allegedly owned by Mr Dhumal at a press conference in
Barog. The judge observed that here were sufficient grounds to prosecute the three leaders on the basis of evidence produced before the court. Earlier, Mr Dhumal told the court that the charges were false and politically motivated. The only objective was to tarnish his image in the eyes of the public as the BJP was likely to return to power in the state. The allegations, which were published by leading newspapers and read by lakhs of people, had lowered his image in public esteem. Mr Sat Pal Jain, who appeared in the court for Mr Dhumal, said notices were sent to the leaders to either prove the charges or tender an apology within 48 hours, but they failed to respond. Later, talking to newsmen Mr Dhumal said by making such wild allegations, Capt Amarinder Singh had hurt the pride of the Himachalis and they would give a befitting reply to the Congress on February 26. |
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Charges
based on evidence: Vyas Chamba, February 15 She said the allegations levelled by Punjab Chief Minister could never be false. Capt Amarinder Singh had levelled these charges on the basis of solid evidence, she added. Ms Vyas was talking to mediapersons here. She had come here in connection with the arrangements for the Congress rally to be addressed by AICC President Sonia Gandhi here on February 19. |
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LJP for probe into Dhumal’s assets Kangra, February 15 Mr Subhash Sharma was addressing a press conference here. He criticised the alleged attempt of the BJP to divide the people of this peaceful state on Gujarat lines. He denounced the Central Government for ignoring the interests of kin of Kargil martyrs of this state. Not even 5 per cent of the petrol stations and gas agencies were allotted to them, he alleged. He said the state should be made corruption-free and education should be provided free of cost up to class X. He said the LJP had plans to deposit Rs 1,000 for the first and second girl child each in bank for 18 years and Rs 10,000 would be given as an interest-free loan for 10 years to the unemployed youth under a self-employment scheme. |
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List achievements, BJP dares Cong Shimla, February 15 Mr Sunil Shastri, national spokesperson of the party, said the Congress had been from the day one trying to divert the attention from the unprecedented development carried out by the BJP government in the state. The charges of corruption against Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, were part of the party’s strategy to sidetrack the real issue. The personal tirade launched by the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, against him was in bad taste and had brought the level of electioneering to a new low. What was most surprising was the fact that leaders like Mr Bhajan
Lal, who reminded only of the “Aya Ram Gaya Ram culture”, and Mr Arjun Singh, who was unceremoniously removed by the party high command in the wake of the Churhat lottery scandal, were also making charges of corruption. The Congress, he said, was on a weak wicket on the issue of national security and terrorism. It was not in favour of enforcing POTA and in Jammu and Kashmir where it was sharing power with the PDP terrorists were being released. However, at the same time it was holding the BJP responsible for the spread of terrorism, which was ridiculous. The fact was that terrorism had found roots in the country during the Congress regime. The BJP had been, on the other hand, waging a relentless battle against the cross-border terrorism and it had achieved a major success in this direction by isolating Pakistan in the International fraternity. Not only that the government had been organising special training programmes with the assistance of Israel to improve the combative capacity of the security forces. He claimed that the first phase of campaigning had transformed the breeze in favour of the BJP into a steady wind and he was confident that it would take the shape of a whirlwind after the second phase. Besides the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, a number of star campaigners like Mr L.K. Advani, Mr Shatrughan
Sinha, Mr Vinod Khanna and Mrs Sushma Swaraj, will come to the state to campaign for the BJP. |
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Rebels will withdraw: Cong Shimla, February 15 This was announced here today by AICC Treasurer Moti Lal Vora, who claimed that the party was heading towards a majority on its own in the February 26 assembly elections. Mr Vora, who gave his assessment after his visit to Kangra, Mandi and Hamirpur, was flanked by Congress Working Committee (CWC) member R. K. Dhawan, Member of Parliament and noted criminal lawyer R. K. Anand, AICC Secretary Major (retd) Ved Prakash and AICC spokesman Anand Sharma. Mr Dhawan expressed confidence that many rebels would withdraw from the contest in favour of official candidates. He had been working on dissidents. In an apparent move to drive a wedge between Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar, Mr Vora said Mr Dhumal could not run away from the reported statement of the wife of Mr Shanta Kumar that her husband had been embarrassed most by Mr Dhumal. He said she had not withdrawn her charges yet. Mr Vora said the resignation of BJP MLAs from the Dhumal ministry on the allegations of corruption were withdrawn only after the Chief Minister had reported said they had reached a rapprochement, but the charges had not yet been withdrawn. Asked if the allegations of corruption levelled by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh would boomerang, Mr Vora said the list of properties was the one which was part of the charge sheet made public by the Congress two years back. Asked why the Congress made an old RSS man Shanker Singh Vaghela the leader of the party in the Gujarat elections, Mr Sharma said if somebody changed his heart, he should be welcome. |
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Cong promises power at
low rates Una, February 15 Mr Virbhadra Singh was canvassing for Mr Virender Gautam Congress candidate from the Una constituency. He said the Congress would reduce power charges for domestic consumers. |
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Demands
met, VHP to support BJP Shimla, February 15 The state VHP president, Mr Gian Chand Sanotra, said at a press conference here that it was the first state (if Gujarat is left out due to the Godhra incident) where the organisation had extended support on a Hindu agenda to a political party. He said the BJP in Himachal Pradesh had included its demands for a law to ban conversion, setting up of a cow service commission, stopping infiltration of terrorists and creation of a body like the SGPC for the protection of rights and property of deities in its manifesto. Mr Sanotra said these demands had been sent to all political parties as a pre-condition to seek support. Mr Sanotra said VHP secretary Surinder Jain would campaign for the party in the state and VHP international President Praveen Togadia had been asked to join the campaign. |
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KEY CONSTITUENCIES
CHINTPURNI & SANTOKHGARH UNA: The hills are reverberating with talk about the elections. Promises and words about morality, laced with attempts to pull each other down, are common in any Indian election. The constituencies of Santokhgarh and Chintpurni are no different, with the BJP and the Congress pitted against one another. In Santokhgarh, Independents may wean away a major chunk of votes, making the scene all the more hazy. The field is clear for a two-way contest in Chintpurni where the Congress has fielded first-timer Rakesh Kalia. He belongs to the family which is on the board of Trustees of the famous temple of Mata Chintpurni. This is the constituency of Mr Praveen Sharma, Excise and Taxation Minister, who is a confidant of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Mr Sharma, while talking to The Tribune at his home at Bharwain on the Una-Dharamsala highway, claims to have carried out major development works and built several kilometres of road. He adds ‘‘I have been in regular touch with my electorate.’’ Mr Sharma, who is presently doing door-to-door campaigning, says it will be beneficial for Himachal Pradesh if the BJP retains power as Himachal Pradesh is usually funded by the Centre, where the BJP-led NDA government is in power. It is a big factor, says Mr Sharma. Will the electorate pay him back and remember his work is the question. Though Mr Sharma's once bitter spat with Union Minister Shanta Kumar, is talked about in hushed tones, the MLA is using the photograph of Mr Shanta Kumar on his posters. The Congress candidate is Mr Rakesh Kalia, just 34 years of age, and with claims that he has been working in the area for the past three years. He says ‘‘I have been around when people needed me the most and the youth are with me’’. Mr Kalia rubbishes his rival's claim that this is a fight between the rich and the poor, adding that the public knows the truth. In this domain of Hinduism and at the foot of the famous temple, there is no such thing as a Gujarat factor, he says. Mr Kalia, while toeing the line of charges of corruption against the BJP, alleges that the development Mr Sharma is talking about has been carried out in his own home. In Santokhgarh, located on the border with Punjab and long ravaged by floods in the Swan, the fight is even more bitter. For the BJP, its state president and sitting MLA, Mr Jai Kishan Sharma, claims that roads and bridges — usually a benchmark of development in the hill state — have been built during his tenure. Mr Sharma, while speaking to The Tribune at Santokhgarh, says the major project has been the channelisation of the Swan. He says work has started on the river and a stretch of five kilometres has been completed. He adds, “there is no anti-incumbency factor working against the BJP in the state.’’ He promises more tubewells, watershed schemes for tapping rainwater and roads for each village. His rival from the Congress is Mr Mukesh Agnihotri. Just 38 years of age, Mr Agnihotri resigned from his job as reporter of a Hindi newspaper to contest. Talking to the Tribune near Haroli, he says, “It is wrong to say I am an outsider. I am very much a son of the soil and my native place is Gondpur-Jaichand, village. My father had contested the last time on a Congress ticket.’’ Adding to his claims, he says, ‘‘My wife is teaching in Himachal.’’ He disputes Mr Jai Kishan Sharma’s claims of having provided 65,000 jobs. “Let him provide a list of 1,000 people who were from Santokhgarh,” he challenges. Adding to the dimension is a Congress rebel, Mr Jagroop Singh. He was a contender for a party ticket and did not withdraw despite pressures from various quarters. Along with Himachal Vikas Congress working president, Mr Vijay Joshi, he may wean away a few thousand votes each. |
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KEY CONSTITUENCIES CHAMBA & BANIKHET CHAMBA: With electorate of Chamba district outrightly rejecting the Hindutva card that the BJP had initially tried to play by accusing the Congress of adopting a soft stand on terrorism, major political parties have been forced to focus only on local issues close to the heart of people. With practically no industry and hardly any job avenues it is issues like unemployment and development, which hold the key to the electorate’s choice in casting their vote. The Congress candidate from the Chamba segment, Mr Harsh Mahajan, trying his luck for the third time, after winning two elections in 1993 and 1998, is making efforts to woo the voters with these very issues. Being the son of senior Congress minister, Late Des Raj Mahajan, a widely respected leader with a very clean image, the two-time Congress MLA is himself very popular, refraining from indulging in petty politics, a fact even his political opponents concede. “Being very accessible, humble and dignified are his strong points, which is the reason that despite being in the opposition he managed to get a lot of work done,” admits Rajesh Kumar, a shopkeeper in the main Chowgan Bazaar. With the BJP fielding a new face, Mr B.K. Chauhan, a former bureaucrat as the party candidate, the contest has become interesting. Though a novice to politics, who is still trying to learn the finer
nuances of the game, he is playing safe by sending a message to people that it was his desire to serve his people, which made him join politics. He is having to contend with resentment among certain party workers, especially Mr K.K. Gupta, the BJP candidate in 1998, who feel the high command has thrust Mr Chauhan on them. “Despite the 300 MW Chamera Power Project being executed here, the BJP regime failed to secure jobs for the locals, especially when unemployment is on the rise,” contests Mr Harsh Mahajan. As far as development works and welfare measures like old age and widow pensions are concerned, Chamba has been worst hit, he adds. On the other hand Mr Chauhan, rather than touching on current issues prefers to outline his agenda if he emerges victorious. “I feel the BJP regime has set the development ball rolling in Chamba and if I win my focus will be to strengthen education, road net work and health facilities in the area,” he says. With a firm footing in the Chamba politics, though Mr Mahajan seems to have the edge, the BJP too is leaving no stone unturned to wrest the seat from the Congress. Though there is an HVC candidate, Mr D.P. Malhotra and two others in the fray, but the contest will be between the two main political parties. The contest in Banikhet, the most expansive segment of Chamba seems to be heading for a very close contest where the scales seem to be evenly balanced. Pitted against former minister and senior Congress leader, Mrs Asha Kumari is BJP’s Renu Chaddha, as they fight it out for the second time. Having given a tough time to her one-time friend in the last elections when she lost by a slender margin of 421 votes, Mrs Chaddha is working overtime to register victory. The BJP’s attempt to rake up cases regarding illegal felling and property claims being faced by Mrs Asha Kumari, being blunted by the latest corruption charges levelled against the Chief Minister, has put the party on the defensive. Mrs Chaddha is seeking votes in the name of development, while accusing the Congress of ignoring the Banikhet area. The presence of a BJP man, Mr Bodh Raj in the fray could possibly damage her. Mrs Asha Kumari, on the other hand is playing up the alleged corruption charges levelled against Mr Dhumal, about properties worth crores in Punjab to the maximum. Terming the BJP regime the most corrupt government Himachal has so far had, she accuses them of ignoring Chamba. With a large section of HVC workers joining her in protest against the party ticket being given to Mr Shaukat Ali, her position has been strengthened. |
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Sofat woos daily wage earners CM stabbed me in back: Sukh Ram It’s do-or-die battle: BJP |
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Trader’s sons assault ETO Parwanoo, February 15 The sons of trader Krishan Kumar attacked the official, Mr Ramesh Sharma, at about 5.30 p.m. when he was in the office with his assistant, Mr Kamlesh Kumar. A source said the trouble had started after a vehicle of another trader had been impounded in Sector 1 here for illegally carrying some goods and the ETO had levied a fine of Rs 12,500 on the owner. The owner thought that Krishan Kumar had tipped off the ETO and started arguing with him in the office of the ETO. Krishan Kumar, sensing the situation, called his sons and brother to the ETO’s office, while the other trader left the office of the ETO when he saw the situation worsening. Krishan’s brother and sons, who came in much afterwards started shouting at the ETO, who tried to pacify them. However, the sons attacked him, at which, the ETO called the police. Krishan Kumar, his two sons and brother Ashok Mittal fled from there. Meanwhile, members of the local Beopar Mandal held a meeting early today and condemned the attack. They also decided to keep the shutters of their shops down today in protest against the attack. |
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