Shimla, March 11
The BJP is likely to re-nominate all three members of the dissolved Lok Sabha, while it is looking for a strong candidate for the Shimla seat, which was held by its alliance partner, the Himachal Vikas Congress.

The state election committee of the party, which met at Nurpur last night under the chairmanship of Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, the state party chief, discussed the issue at length. Mr O.P.Kohli, national secretary and in charge of the party’s affairs in Himachal Pradesh, was also present at the meeting. While the committee was unanimous over the choice of Mr Shanta Kumar from Kangra, the name of Mr P.K.Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, also came up for discussion for the Hamirpur seat. The majority, however, was in the favour of re-nominating Mr Suresh Chandel, who had won the seat with a record margin in 1999. Mr Dhumal was a heavyweight but there was nothing against Mr Chandel to deny him the ticket, the members felt.

The choice for the Mandi seat fell on Mr Maheshwar Singh, even though the name of Mr Ram Swaroop was also considered.

Kangra, March 11
Swami Virendranand Giri, national vice-president, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Shakti Sena, today urged the Election Commission to ask all political parties in Himachal Pradesh to vacate schools, religious places and dharamshalas from where they were running party offices and conducting political activities as this was arousing religious sentiments of the electorate and disturbing education of students.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Swami Giri alleged that the political parties were trying to exploit religious sentiments of the people by carrying out party activities from the religious places.

He said the parties were spending crores of rupees for their poll campaigns but were running offices from temples and dharamshalas. He alleged that this was being done to mislead the electorate.

Hamirpur, March 11
Ms Urmila Thakur, BJP Mahila Morcha general secretary, today demanded a party ticket for a woman in the coming Lok Sabha elections from the state. She said the morcha would stress this point with the party high command.

Addressing her first press conference here this evening, after taking over the new assignment as the general secretary of the party’s Mahila Morcha, she, however, clarified that the decision of the party high command regarding the allotment of tickets would be final. Ms Sushma Sharma, Ms Veena Sharma and Ms Kamlesh Kumari were also present on the occasion. Ms Thakur blasted the government for its “failure to complete developmental activities in the state, started by the previous BJP government”. She alleged that cases of atrocities on women were rising in the state and cases of murders were being converted into suicides. She appealed to Chairperson of the Mahila Commission Viplab Thakur to take notice of such cases and provide justice to aggrieved families.

Dharamsala, March 11
The hearing in a defamation case filed by the Himachal Rural Development Minister, Mr Sat Mahajan, against former Union Minister Shanta Kumar has been adjourned till April 8. The case was shifted from the court of the Sub-Judge of Dharamsala to that of the Senior Sub-Judge. Both Mr Sat Mahjan and Mr Shanta Kumar were present in the court along with their advocates and supporters.

Shimla, March 11
The HP High Court today directed the Secretary (IPH) and the Secretary (HP Public Service Commission) to produce the original records pertaining to the selection process of an Assistant Engineer in the IPH Department.

A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mr V.K. Gupta, and Mr Justice Arun Kumar Goel also impleaded Mr V.K. Malik, member, HPPSC, as a party and issued ‘dasti’ notice to him.

This order was passed on a petition wherein two selected candidates for the above said post have urged the court to summon the entire records of the selection process.

The HPPSC had conducted an interview for the post on January 7, 2004, and the result was declared on January 9. The controversy arose when a member of the HPPSC, Mr V.K. Malik, filed a complaint with the state government alleging irregularities in the selection process. After this, the state government declined to appoint the recommended candidates and decided to hold an inquiry into the alleged irregularity.

The counsel for the petitioner, Mr Rajiv Sharma, contended that the entire records of the selection process should be summoned to put the whole controversy to rest.

Kangra, March 11
Hundreds of students of the local Polytechnic College boycotted classes in support of their demands, including a ‘golden chance’, for the second day today. They students raised slogans in support of their demands at the college gate.

The president of the students’ union of the college Ramit Dhiman, told this correspondent that the boycott of the classes would continue till Saturday. If their demands were not met by then, they would take out a protest rally on Monday and hold a demonstration outside the SDM’s office.

Meanwhile, the teaching community has told the HP Technical Education Board that providing a ‘golden chance’ to the students was not helpful in imparting quality education to the students. The Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Technical Education Board, Mr B.R. Rahi, said when last year the ‘golden chance’ was given to the students, they had been categorically told that it was the last ‘golden chance’.

Kangra, March 11
More than 25 persons were admitted with food poisoning in the subdivisional hospital here this evening after they had a feast at a marriage in Birta village, near here.

Dalhousie, March 11
Residents of Sailli village in Chamba district have resolved to set up their village as a model village under the aegis of the Yoga Manav Vikas Trust, Banikhet (Dalhousie). The village has been identified by the Trust for the purpose.

Disclosing this here today, Mrs Kiran Dodeja, chairperson of the Trust, said to establish Sailli as a model village, 18 conditions had been laid down, which would be followed by inhabitants for the welfare of the village.

Chamba, March 11
The District Magistrate of Chamba, Mr Rahul Anand, has cautioned the people of Chamba against crossing the Ravi and going the riverbed between the Chamera project dam at Bagga and its tailrace outlet at Karian even when there is no flow of water to avoid any untoward incident.

In an official communique issued here today, the District Magistrate appealed to the public that the river Ravi from the Bagga dam to the Karian tailrace outlet was not a dry river.

Therefore, the dam could be opened anytime without prior notice or warning signal and water could flow in the river with a high velocity.