Shimla, November 29
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and BJP Chief Ministerial candidate P.K. Dhumal were among the 208 candidates who field nominations today for the second phase of assembly polls in the state. With this, the total number of candidates in the fray has gone up to 281.

Virbhadra Singh is contesting the assembly poll for the seventh time. However, he is seeking election from Rohru constituency for the fifth time. He contested the 1983 and 1985 elections from the Jubbal and Kotkhai seat.

Addressing his supporters after filing nomination papers at Rohru, he appealed to the people to make him victorious by a larger margin. He said he was confident that the Congress would win the election and form the next government in the state.

He said the BJP’s dream to come to power would not be fulfilled as the party was vertically divided and its leaders were steeped in corruption from head to toe.

He said the Congress would reach the winning post on the basis of its performance on the development front, particularly in education, health and social sectors and expansion and improvement of road network.

His BJP rival Khushi Ram Balnatah also filed his nomination papers today. Others who filed papers today are:-

Rohru - Virbhadra Singh (Congress) and Khushi Ram Balnatah (BJP); Jubbal Kotkhai - Nariinder Bragta (BJP ) and Rohit Thakur (Congress); Chopal - Subhash Manglet (Congress), Radha Raman Shastri (BJP ) and Harinand (BSP);

Kumarsain -Vidya Stokes (Congress), Balanand Mehta (BSP) and Promod Sharma(Independent); Theog - Rakesh Verma (Independent); Shimla - Suresh Bhardwaj (BJP) and Ved Prakash Thakur (BSP); Kusumpti - Sohan Lal(Congress), Tarsem Bharati (BJP), Sheetal Phawal (BSP), Uttam Singh Kashyap (BSP Ambedkar) and Roop Dass Kashyap and Manoj Kumar(both Independents); Arki - Prakash Karad (Congress), Gomti Devi and Vishal

(Both BSP), Padam Chand (SP), Ram Krishna (CPM), Pradeep Kumar( LJP) and Ajay Singh and Om Praksh Gautam (both Independents); Doon - Vinod Kumari (BJP), Darshan Singh (BSP), Bhag Singh (SP) and Bharat Bhushan (Independent); Nalagarh - Vinod Kumar(BSP) and Lakhwinder Rana(BJP); Kasauli - Rajiv Saijal (BJP) and Kamlesh (CPI); Solan - Rajiv Bindal (BJP) and Kailash Prasher (Congress); Pachhad - Gangu Ram Musafir (Congress), Suresh Kashyap (BJP) and Ram Prakash (Independent); Rainka(SC) - Balbir (BJP) and Prem Singh(Congress); Shilai - Harsh Wardhan (Congress), Baldev Tomar(BJP), Raksha Negi (BSP) Amar Singh (Independent ); Paonta Doon - Kirnesh Jang (Congress ), Sukh Ram (BJP),Om Prakash (LJP) and Manjinder Singh ands Nirmal Kaur( both BSP); Nahan - Shyama Sharma (BJP) and Sadanand Chauhan(LJP);

Kot Kehloor - Randhir Sharma(BJP), Sukh Ram (BSP), Amrnath Independent); Bilaspur - Tilak Raj (Congress ), J. P. Nadda (BJP), Dharam Singh (LJP), Kantha Lal and Lal (both BSP), Bamabar Thakur and Kishori Lal (both Independent ); Ghumarvin - K. D. Dharmani (BJP) and Lal (BSP); Geharwin - Biru Ram (Congress ), Rikhi Ram (BJP) and Krishnu Ram Independent ); Nadaun - Vijay Agnihotri (BJP ), Suresh Kumar (LJP); Hamirpur - Urmila thakur (BJP), Praveen Thakur and Rajesh Kumar (both BSP); Bamsan - P.K. Dhumal (BJP), B.C. Lagwal (Congress ), Des Raj (BJP) Surnider Kumar and Subhash Chand (both BSP); Mewa(SC) -I. D. Dhuiman and Bichitra Singh (both BJP), Suresh Kumar(Congress), Lal Singh(BSP); Nadaunta - Vidya Zar and Rajinder Zar (both Congress )Nita Shamra (LJP), Yash Pal Thakur and Joginder Singh(both BSP), Arvind Rani (Independent); Gagret (SC) - Jagjit (Independent ); Chintpurani - Narinder Sharma (BJP), Rakesj Kalia (Congress), Hari Dutt (BSP); Santokhgarh - Jagroop Singh and Praveen (both BJP),Vijay Joshi and Suresh Lata (both BSP) and Lekh Raj (LJP); Una - Sat Pal and Subhash (both BJP); Kutlehar - Ram Nath Sharma (Congress ), Virender Singh and Mohan Lal (BJP); Nurpur - Ajay Mahajan (Congress ), Malvika Pathania and Rajiv Bhardwaj (Both BJP); Gangath(SC) - Bodh Raj and Malendar Rajan (both Congress ), Anita KUmari and Des Raj (both BJP) and Hans Raj(BSP); Jawali - Rajan Sushant (BJP), Sujan Singh Pathania (Congress), Rajan Mankotia (BSP), Ashok Kumar and Aruna Devi (Independents); Guler - H. S. Rana (BJP), Neeraj Bharati (Congress ) and Joginder Singh (Independent); Jaswan - Vikram Singh(BJP) , Nikhil Rajour(Congress) and Hari Om (BSP); Pragpur (SC) - Yog Raj (Congress); Jwalamukhi - Ramesh Chand and Nanak Chand (both BSP), Ruma Kaundal (Congress ), Ramesh Chand Dhwala (BJP), Pratap Singh Rana (LJP) and Sanjay Rattan (Independent ); Thural - Sanjay Rana(Congress ),Gian Chand (SP), Puran Chand (Bhartiya Chaitanya Party)and Jadish Chand Sipaya and Navin Katoch(Independents); Rajgir (SC) - Atma Ram (BJP) and M. R. Goma(Congress); Baijnath - Sudhir Sharma (Congress) and Suresh Kumar and Udho Ram (BSP); Palampur - Dhani Ram (Independent ) and Vinod Kumar and Sunder Lal (both BSP); Sulah - Janjiwan Pal (Congress), Suhasna and Charan Dev (both BSP) and Suresh Chander (SP); Nagrota -Mangla Chaudhary (BJP) and G. S. Bali (Congress); Shahpur -Sanjeev (BJP), Onkar Rana (BSP), Poras Kumar (LJP); Dharamsala -K. K. Kapoor (BJP),Kapoor Singh (CPM) and Vijay Singh Mankotia (BSP); Kangra -Vidya Sagar (BJP), Devi Lal (LJP), Banaarsi Das (Independent ) Aman Gulaeria (CPI) and Sanjay Kumar (BSP); Bhatiyat - Vikram Jaryal (Independent) Banikhet-Asha Kumari (Congress) Rajnagar (SC)- Ram Dass (Independent); Chamba - B. K. Chauhan (BJP) Kulu-Raj Krishan Gaur(Congress), Gobind Thakur and Kunj Lal (both BJP); Banjar - Sat Prakash Thakur (Congress), Karan Singh (BSP) and Narain Singh(CPM); Ani - Kishori Lal (BJP), Ishwar Das (Congress ) and Gurnail Singh (BSP); Karsog - Mast Ram (Congress ), Bhim Singh (BSP), Raj Kumar (CPM) and Hira Lal and Nagnu Ram (both Independent); Chachiot - Hem Raj (BJP), Jagdish Thakur (CPM), Jagdish Reddy (BSP); Nachan(SC) - Dile Ram(BJP); Sundernagar - Roop Singh and Hari Singh (both BJP), Sohan Lal (Congress), Satya Pal Gautam and Paras (both BSP) Ramesh Chand (Independent); Balh - Damodar Dass (BJP), Prakash Chaudahry (Congress), Mahant Ram Chaudhary (BSP) and Ramesh Chand (Independent); Gopalpur - R. R. Rao (Congress), Hukum Chand (SP) Dharampur - Chandershekhar (Congress ),Saju Ram (LJP), Natha Singh and Harnam Singh (both Independents); Jogindernagar - Rakesh Bhardwaj (BSP); Drang - Kaul Singh (Congress), Jawahar Lal Thakur and (BJP), Brhmanand and Uttam Singh (both BSP) and Param Dev (NCP); Mandi -Anil Sharma and Jai Singh (both Congress ), Praveen Kumar (BJP), Rajinder Mohan (BSP), Neelam (LJP), Kanhaiya Lal and D. D. Thakur (both Independents).

Hamirpur, November 29
Chief ministerial candidate of the BJP and Hamirpur MP Prem Kumar Dhumal has challenged the allegations of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh about having incriminating material in the hard disc with regard to recommendations made by him in the appointments made during the previous government.

Addressing a public meeting here today before filing his nominations for the Bamsan assembly constituency he said “I challenge the allegations of the Chief Minister on the basis of a report from the forensic laboratory, Hyderabad, which clarifies that no part of the disc has been deleted or altered in any way and there is nothing against him in the CD.”

Making a counter attack on the Chief Minister, Dhumal said “you should get the CD having your and your wife’s voice tested from the forensic laboratory, Hyderabad, and then tell the public if it contains your voice or not”?

Dhumal also accused the Virbhadra by saying “he is the only Chief Minister who after being a Chief Minister for several terms claimed that he was ignorant about the law of the Land Ceiling Act because of which 80 bighas of land was transferred in his name due to ignorance and which he had to divest through a court order later.”

Addressing the rally, in charge of BJP affairs in the state Sat Pal Jain said “national leadership of the BJP had taken the first step in the direction of forming a BJP government in the state by appointing Dhumal as the Chief Ministerial candidate and credit for this goes to national leadership and Shanta Kumar.” Jain questioned “If the hard disc had some incriminating material why did the government keep mum on the issue for five years and why didn’t it register a case”?

New Delhi, November 29
The Congress is banking on its trusted hands for campaigning in Himachal and has not shown an inclination to bring in the glamour quotient. The party has so far not sought the services of its leaders from Bollywood though the opposition BJP is sure to field some of its well-known actor-turned-politicians during campaign. Railway minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, though, is on the Congress list of invitees.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is likely to visit the state on December 11 and 15 to address four rallies. Party leaders said she would attend meetings at Kangra, Una and Shimla and the fourth venue would be chosen between Mandi and Sirmaur. The state unit wants party scion Rahul Gandhi to campaign at least for two days.

To build momentum, the party has decided to hold seven simultaneous rallies on December 7. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for social justice Meira Kumar and Lalu Prasad are also likely to address rallies on December 7 in different parts of the state. Senior Congress leader R.K. Dhawan, who is in charge of state party affairs is already in Shimla to finalise the party’s campaign strategy.

Keen to deflate attempts by the BJP to make corruption an election issue, the party is hitting at former Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal who is the saffron party’s chief ministerial candidate. The Congress today repeated its stance that no leader would be projected as Chief Minister in the state. Party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said a decision on leadership will be taken by the newly elected MLAs in consultation with the central party leadership after the party comes to power.

The spokesman admitted that the party may face anti-incumbency in the state but development and governance record of its government would overcome that factor. Sources said the Congress had given the Election Commission a list of 40 leaders who would campaign in the state.

Besides, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union ministers Ambika Soni, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Oscar Fernandes, and Anand Sharma would campaign in the state. AICC leaders Motilal Vora, Digvijay Singh, Mohsina Kidwai and Mukul Wasnik would also be present.

Shimla, November 29
The BSP today released its second list of 17 candidates.

The names of four women candidates are — Shusheela Kumari (Gopalpur), Gomti Devi (Arki), Vidya Devi (Rajgir) and Raksha Devi (Shillai).

The others in the list are — Som Dutt Pundir (Kasauli), Rajesh Jindal (Solan), Bhag Singh (Nagrota), Suhant Thakur (Nahan), Karan Singh (Banjar), Dharambir Dhami (Kullu), Dinesh Shah (Rajgir), Rajinder Singh (Pragpur), Vineet Puri (Chamba), Kalu Ram (Bhatiyat), Parveen Thakur(Hamirpur), Roshan Lal Thakur (Nachan) and Gurmail Singh (Ani).

The party also announced that Lekh Raj Katnuria would now contest from the Gagret Assemly segment instead of Col Dev Raj.

Party sources said the remaining three candidates for Rampur, Nadaun and Kutlehar would be announced later in the evening.

The first list announced on Sunday covered 45 constituencies. — UNI

Nurpur, November 29
The Nurpur constituency has been the citadel of the Congress since 1967 and veteran Congress stalwart revenue minister Sat Mahajan had served five terms in the Assembly from here.

He won five out of seven elections that he contested from 1972 to 2003. Before his retirement from the electoral politics, the octogenarian leader declared his son and state Congress general secretary Ajay Mahajan his successor. He succeeded in securing the Congress ticket to him from the Nurpur segment despite persistent pressure by the other two aspirants, the local municipal council president Rakesh Mahajan and state youth Congress general secretary Manoj Pathania.

A glance on the previous Assembly elections reveal that Wazir Kartar Singh, father of former transport minister and now BSP candidate Kewal Singh Pathania, won the first elections from here in 1967. His son defeated Sat Mahajan as an independent candidate in 1972. In 1977, during the anti-Congress wave throughout the country due to emergency imposed by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Congress candidate Sat Mahajan won his first election by defeating Kewal Singh Pathania. In 1980 and 1985, Mahajan won two consecutive elections. He lost in 1990 to his traditional rival Kewal Singh Pathania. Again in 1993, he swept the elections by defeating BJP candidate Megh Raj Awasthi with a record margin of votes in the merged area of the state.

After Sat Mahajan won the Lok Sabha election from the Kangra parliamentary constituency in 1995, his political successor Rajit Bakhshi won the Assembly byelection in 1996 by defeating first-timer BJP candidate Rakesh Pathania. Again in the Assembly elections in 1998, the BJP candidate Pathania hoisted the BJP flag in the constituency by defeating Bakshi.

In 2003, Sat Mahajan again jumped into state politics and contested Assembly election by defeating BJP youngster Rakesh Pathania with a margin of 9,599 votes. This time, Mahajan has paved the way for his son in the electoral politics.

Former MLA, ex-chairman of the HPTDC and loyalist of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Rakesh Pathania fell prey to the state BJP’s factionalism when he was denied the party ticket. The ticket had been allotted to Shanta Kumar’s supporter and Kangra district BJP mahila morcha president Malvika Pathania.

The denial of ticket to Pathania has resulted in a revolt in the BJP cadre. Pathania will file his nomination as an Independent candidate claiming himself to be a true soldier of the BJP on Thursday. He has started organising corner meetings in rural areas to gather sympathy of the electorate by alleging that he had been made a political scapegoat and injustice was done with him.

He said the party high command had ignored the winnability criterion and merit while allocating ticket to Malvika Pathania. Candidates of the Congress and the BJP Ajay Mahajan and Malvika Pathania, respectively, will also file nominations on Thursday. BSP candidate Kewal Singh Pathania had already filed his nomination on Monday.

The Congress bastion will witness a multi-cornered contest this time. The Congress and the BJP have fielded new candidates in the constituency. The revolt in the BJP cadre can benefit Congress candidate whereas the supporters of rebel BJP candidate are claiming that notwithstanding, a multi-cornered contest, the main fight in the elections is between Independent candidate Rakesh Pathania and Congress candidate Ajay Mahajan.

Shimla, November 29
After the Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments, scholars of the state have offered their homes to controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.

Noted scholar S.R. Harnot, who has written several books on history and culture of the state, has offered his home in Chanawog village to Taslima, about 50 km from here.

Harnot told PTI that he and other writers from the state would soon meet Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and request him to extend a formal invitation to Taslima.

President of the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, Kullu-Lahaul and Mahila Sahityakar Sansthan Rita Singh met Taslima in Delhi on November 27 and invited her to the state.

Another writer Saini Ashes has written a letter to Taslima inviting her to stay in his cottage in Kullu. — PTI

Solan, November 29
The police arrested three persons, including Parwanoo income tax officer (ITO) Param Dev Bharti after a shooting incident, which left one person injured in the Chambagaht area of the town, late last evening.

Injured Sanat Kumar, a resident of Lakkar Bazar area, received a bullet injury in his shoulder and was admitted to the regional hospital.

SP Diljeet Thakur said preliminary investigations revealed that the incident took place when Bharti was on an evening stroll and he found some persons consuming liquor along the road side. He reportedly asked them not to do so and this lead to an altercation between them and they allegedly thrashed Bharti.

Bharti later called his sons who reached the spot armed with one .22 licensed gun and allegedly fired at Sanat Kumar. They also fired two more rounds.

Meanwhile, Sanat’s friends intimated the police who arrested Bharti and his sons namely Varat and Vivek Bharti under Section 307 and 34 of the IPC and the Arms Act.

Kangra, November 29
Once again a patient was caught amidst a political rally when candidates of different political parties campaigning for the elections, took out rallies before filing their nomination papers in the SDM’s office here. Relatives of the patient sought police help but to no avail.

A rally led by G.S. Bali was being taken to the SDM’s office when a woman patient was caught in a mess with none to help. The driver of the ambulance sought police help but no one seemed to be bothered about the ailing patient. Ultimately when Bali reached the SDM’s office, the driver managed to whisk away the patient via Purana Kangra.

People who witnessed the whole incident said the Election Commission should issue a directive to all candidates to provide way to patients and not become a stumbling block for them.

Earlier a child had died on his way to the hospital when the ambulance in which he was being taken was caught amidst a political rally in Shimla.

Shimla, November 29
The BJP has changed the venue of rallies which were to be addressed by Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi on December 5. Swaraj will now address a rally at Jasur instead of the earlier venue at Dharamsala. Incidentally a woman leader, Malvika Pathania, has been fielded from the Nurpur Assembly segment in place of former MLA Rakesh Pathania.

Similarly, Murli Manohar Joshi who was scheduled to address an election rally in Jubbal Kotkhai will now address it in Paonta Sahib in district Sirmaur on December 5. The changes in venue have been made to enhance the chances of candidates at other places. State party chief, Jai Ram Thakur said the changes had been made in venue of the rallies in the interest of the party.

The BJP will start its campaign in the state as five national BJP leaders will address five rallies on December 5. While Lal Krishan Advani will address a rally in support of party candidate in Kullu, national president Rajnath Singh will be in Solan. While state party chief Jai Ram Thakur is likely to be present at the rally in Kullu, Satya Pal Jain, in charge of party affairs in Himachal, will be at Solan with Rajnath Singh.

It is being expected that Shanta Kumar will be present at the rally in Jasur. Venkiah Naidu will address a rally at Hamirpur, where chief ministerial candidate and Lok Sabha MP, P.K. Dhumal, will be present. It is learnt that the change in the BJP ticket for the Ganggath seat was still under the consideration of the party high command. Former MLA Des Raj’s name is being considered as there has been a virtual revolt in the party. The ticket has been given to Anita Dhiman.

Hamirpur, November 29
With the announcement of Prem Kumar Dhumal as the chief ministerial candidate by the BJP, the political scene has changed suddenly in Hamirpur district and the surrounding areas. The tag of the Chief Minister has always played a very crucial role in the state. In the past, voters have definitely been swayed in favour of the party projecting its Chief Minister from that region. With Dhumal on the centre stage of state politics, the people of Hamirpur district and adjoining districts are once again discussing the coming assembly election, keeping the Chief Ministerial candidate in mind.

The urge to have the Chief Minister from the district has become focal issue in the assembly election now and polarization on this issue has pushing all other factors on the backfoot.

Hamirpur district, which had few powerful leaders in the state government till Prem Kumar Dhumal was projected as the Chief Minister by the BJP during the 1998 assembly elections, utilised this opportunity to the hilt.

The voters elected all five MLAs of the BJP in the Hamirpur, Nadaun, Bamsan, Nadaunta and Mewa assembly constituencies with comfortable margins during 1998 elections, for the first time in the electoral history of the state.After Dhumal ran the BJP government for full five years in the state, the Chief Minister’s tag has become quite important in the politics of Hamirpur

Mandi, November 29
Women who constitute nearly half of the state’s electorate, continue to get a raw deal from all political parties, including the Congress, the BJP, the BSP and others, as just 14 women candidates will contest for the Vidhan Sabha election on December 19.

Himalini Kapoor, a young private bank entrepreneur, said all political parties made a big fuss about giving 33 per cent reservation to women, but when it came to giving tickets, women were ignored. She blamed the political parties for not giving enough representation to women.

She said this itself spoke volumes about the continuing gender bias towards women in the state.

Dr Lata from Bilaspur said women were more sincere and once the bias towards girls was eradicated, they would get equal participation in development and decision-making.

“Leadership comes only when you give responsibilities to women. They have proven their worth in every field and they deserve equal representation in parties as they can make the real difference by taking up women issues like female foeticide, women rights etc,” adds Leena Chauhan, a school teacher from Shimla.

The Congress has allotted party tickets to just five women candidates -Vidya Stokes (Kumarsain), Asha Kumari (Banikhet), Anita Kumari (Hamirpur), Chandresh Kumari (Dharamsala) and Ruma Kaundal (Jawalamukhi). The same holds true for the BJP which has fielded seven women candidates - Malvika Pathania (Nurpur), Renu Chadda (Banikhet), Vinod Chandel (Doon), Shayama Sharma (Nahan), Urmil Thakur (Hamirpur), Anita Dhiman (Gangath) and Sarveen Chaudhary (Shahpur).

“I tried to get the ticket from Mandi Sadar but the bigwigs turned me down saying Anil Sharma will get the ticket, rues Champa Thakur, a zila parishad member, Dahan, who is the daughter of IPH minister, Kaul Singh Thakur. “Only women can understand women issues and only 33 per cent reservation in Vidhan Sabha can give women their due”, she asserts.

“Women are getting 33 per cent reservation in panchayats’ election. It has changed the outlook of the village women and has increased their social status. Reservation in the Vidhan Sabha Election will boost their leadership quality”, said Kaushliya Devi and Rita Thakur, panchyat pradhans from Tungal in Mandi.

Shimla, November 29
Chief electoral officer Manisha Nanda said here today that political parties and candidates could make use of banners, hoardings, cut-outs and posters during electioneering.

However, their display would be allowed only within the premises, where the meeting was allowed to be held and only during the period of the meeting.

She said elaborate arrangements had been made to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in the state and she urged the political parties, to contribute for smooth conduct of election.

She said the political party and candidate concerned should get the material displayed by them removed immediately after the meeting.

In processions taken out for the election campaign, posters and banners would be permitted.

She said the expenditure incurred in connection with displaying of the banners would be accounted for in the election expenses of the candidates concerned.

Hamirpur, November 29
The CPI has given a call to defeat both BJP and the Congress in the assembly elections. Addressing a press conference here joint secretary of state CPI and national council member Desh Raj Sharma said both parties during their rule had sold out the natural resources of the state to private companies, compromising the rights of the people.

The CPI leader said an irreparable loss had been caused to environment and ecology of the state while implementing power projects. 

Palampur, November 29
Though senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar has not expressed even a single word against the decision of the party high command to project Prem Kumar Dhumal as its chief ministerial candidate, his supporters have openly criticised the top brass for taking this premature decision.

It looks that even 11 years after the "Jawalamukhi episode", which brought the party on the verge of a split, the Himachal BJP continues to be a house divided. The party has miserably failed to close ranks and project a united image. With P.K. Dhumal and Shanta Kumar being arch rivals all these years, the scourge of factionalism has afflicted the party right down to the grassroots. Incessant infighting and indiscipline has shaken the very roots of the party and sapped its vitality, which provided it the edge over the rivals in electioneering.

Despite being the seniormost leader, Shanta Kumar has been constantly complaining of being sidelined in the party. If the high command failed to forge a patch-up between the two leaders and suitably accommodate Shanta Kumar, things would move from bad to worse in the BJP. 

Kangra, November 29
The Rs 400-cr 500-bedded Rajender Prasad Government Medical College at Tanda, which was inaugurated in a hush- hush manner on October 17, would become functional from December 1. The entire medical college staff would be withdrawn from the Dharamsala hospital by December 10, Medical college sources said here .

Principal Suresh Shankhyan said the OPD and indoor departments would be fully operational in the newly constructed hospital building at Tanda, which was dedicated to the people by five medical college girl students, Neetu Sharma, Preeti Chopra, Vatika Bhadrwaj, Sanday and Shakshi Kholi, after a havan on October 17.

He, however, said the medical college staff would continue to back up the regional hospital at Dharamsala till December 10 after which the entire staff would be withdrawn.

According to sources, only 60 per cent of the 912 posts created for the hospital had been filled so far.