Shimla, December 19
The BJP today claimed victory in the first phase of the panchayat elections that concluded here yesterday.

Over 75 per cent people elected are either BJP men or people supported by the party, party spokesman H N Kashyap said in an official release here.

He said the party's victory in these elections could be attributed to escalation in prices of essential items, rising unemployment and false promises made to the electorate during the past three years.

Mr Kashyap said several irregularities were noticed in the first phase of panchayat elections in the state.

The party spokesman rubbished the Congress claim that a majority of the elected members were Congress supported.

The party had made major inroads in Shimla and Sirmaur districts where heavyweight Congress candidates were defeated by the BJP-supported candidates, he added.

Palampur: The Congress suffered a major setback as most candidates supported by the Congress were defeated in five Assembly segments of the Palampur region.

In Palampur constituency, BJP-supported candidate Sanjiv Soni was elected from Lohana, the home panchayat of Mr Brij Behari Lal Butial, local MLA and political adviser to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

Likewise in Ghuggar panchayat, senior Congress leader and member of PCC Atma Ram Thakur, staunch supporter of Butial, was also defeated by BJP-backed candidate Lalit Kumar by a margin of 300 votes. In Kandi, Bundla, Mehanja panchayats, BJP-backed candidates were declared elected, while in Mehanja panchayat, Congress-backed candidates also lost their deposits.

In the Rajgir constituency of this region, most of BJP-supported candidates were declared elected. The prominent among them are Ashwani Gupta, former Chairman, BDC, from Chandropa, Lok Ram, Mandal president of the BJP was elected from the Rajot panchayat, Pawan Kumar from the Panchrukhi panchayat.

In the Baijnath constituency, Rajnish Awasthi, a BJP-supported candidate, was elected from the Paprola panchayat by defeating Congress-supported candidate Om Parkash. In Chobin, a home panchayat of Congress MLA Sudhir Sharma, Baldev Rana, BJP-supported candidate, was declared elected by defeating the Congress-supported candidate.

Mr Shanta Kumar, former Chief Minister and BJP leader, while talking to mediapersons, said the overwhelming victory of BJP candidates in the first phase of panchayat elections had proved that people of the state had rejected the Congress and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had no moral right to continue in the office. He should immediately quit and seek a fresh mandate from the people of the state.

SOLAN: The declaration of results for the 71 panchayat pradhans in the first phase of elections to panchayats has initiated a war of claims between the ruling Congress and BJP activists. Interestingly, both parties appear jubilant at the results as each claims they captured the lion’s share in the poll.

While the District Congress Committee claimed that party supported candidates had won 50 of the 71 panchayat pradhan posts, BJP activists maintained that they had ousted the Congress-supported candidates in a majority of the panchayats.

While no figures had been quoted by the BJP, the state spokesman and local MLA Rajiv Bindal said BJP candidates had defeated senior Congress men at a number of places. This, he claimed, was an indication of their party’s better performance.

While corroborating his claim, he said in a most interesting contest Congress senior leader and sitting zila parishad member Sunder Singh Jaswal was defeated by BJP-supported Govind Ram.

Interestingly Govind Ram was a Congress dissident. In Jaunaji panchayat, a director of Bhaghat Bank, Mr Bhupinder, was defeated by BJP-supported Sant Ram. In Siri Nagar ward, wife of a BJP office- bearer won by a high margin defeating the Congress-supported candidate. Likewise in Delgi panchayat, an old Congress man Siri Ram lost to a BJP-supported candidate.

Dharamsala: Polling for 253 gram panchayats will be held on December 20 as part of the second phase of the local bodies elections in Kangra district. In the first phase of polling held on December 18, elections for 258 panchayats were held. According to a statement issued today, the third phase of polling will be held on December 22 for the remaining 249 panchayats.

Kangra, December 19
A 63-year-old woman received burn injuries on her face and chest when her 40-year-old son throw acid on her at her home in Jamwal Bhai village, falling under Dhera sub-division of this district last evening, the police said today.

Ms Rani Bindoo Sachdeva, DSP Dhera, said there was some altercation between Kushaliyia Devi and her son Gurmail on some issue. She said the victim was admitted to a hospital at Dada Seba.

The police has registered a case in this regard. She further said that the accused was absconding. The accused was said to be under the influence of liquor when the incident happened. — OC

Dharamsala, December 19
BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal today asked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh whether he would hold a session of the Vidhan Sabha in Mandi as well to prove that he was truly committed to striking a regional balance in the state.

Mr Dhumal said after the decision to hold the winter session in Dharamsala, which falls in the northern zone of the state, besides Shimla, would the Chief Minister also try to give the same importance to the central zone by holding the monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha in Mandi.

Commenting on the Chief Minister’s statement that the decision to hold a session in Dharamsala was only a “time bomb and the government had many hydrogen bombs in its stock”, Mr Dhumal said if the government had anything more to offer, would it accept the proposal of carving out new districts out of Kangra, Mandi and Shimla.

Mr Dhumal rubbished statements of Excise and Taxation Minister Rangila Ram Rao and Chairman of the HP Backward Classes Finance and Development Commission Surinder Kaku that the BJP was indulging in politics of regionalism and casteism.

Shimla, December 19
The Himachal government proposes to make the one-man state electricity Regulatory Commission into a three-member one.

The state Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, is learnt to have approved a proposal in this regard. It also decided to set up a search committee to select members. The committee will be headed by Mr R.S.Thakur, a retired judge, and have the Chief Secretary, Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority and Principal Secretary, Power as members

The government has also proposed to appoint a new chairman of the commission in place of Mr S.S. Gupta who took over as member on January 6,2001 for a period of five years. Later he was made chairman of the commission for a five-year term expiring on July 6, 2006.

However, the government has obtained legal opinion according to which the term of five years will be taken for the entire period in office, both as member and chairman.

The state high court had quashed the notification vide which Mr Gupta was appointed chairman. However, Mr Gupta had moved the Supreme Court which stayed the order of the high court.

The Cabinet also approved the creation of 20 posts of dental surgeon for various hospitals in the state.

It also decided to grant exemption from Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act under which a non-agriculturist is required to obtain prior approval from the government for acquiring land in the state in respect of plots sold by the state Industrial Development Corporation and the state Urban Development Authority. The decision has been taken for the convenience of entrepreneurs desiring to set up biotechnology park and information technology park.

Palampur, December 19
Employees of all branches of the State Bank of Patiala in this part of the state observed strike to press for the acceptance of their demands. No business was conducted in any branch. Customers had to go back disappointed.

Later employees of the SBP sat on dharna. Addressing the employees, Mr N.D. Sharma, president of the SBP Employees Association, said that adamant attitude of the management had forced them to resort to direct action. He criticised the bank management for not implementing the decision taken at the last JCC meeting.

Kumarhatti, December 19
A pedestrian was killed after he was hit by a truck (HP-12A-9675) at Jharmajri, near Baddi, yesterday evening. The deceased, Vipin Kumar, who had a shop at Jharmajri, was on his way back home when the truck hit him. Vipin died while being taken to the PGI, Chandigarh. The truck driver fled from spot after abandoning the vehicle at spot. A case has been registered.