Jubbal/Kotkhai: Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta and Rohit Thakur, grandson of late Congress stalwart Thakur Ram Lal, are fighting it out for the third consecutive time in the apple heartland. It was the impregnable bastion of Ram Lal, who won nine elections from the constituency.

After him, the Congress is not as strong here as it used to be. Rohit stepped into the shoes of his grandfather and defeated Bragta in 2003, but lost to him in 2007. It is virtually a straight contest even though Ram Lal Kesta (BSP) and Lokender Chauhan (Independent) are also in the fray.

The constituency has become larger in delimitation with the inclusion of the Tikker area from the adjoining Rohru constituency. With Bragta firmly entrenched in the Kotkhai belt and Rohit holding sway over the Jubbal area, voters of Tikker will play the decisive role.

The focus is on the apple economy and issues like the anti-hail gun, sale of the carton factory at Pragatinagar and the deplorable condition of the Theog-Hatkoti road are being debated. In fact, the Congress and the BJP remained involved in an acrimonious debate on these issues for the last three years. Rohit terms the anti-hail gun a mega-failure while Bragta maintains that it is still at the trial stage.

The Congress is terming the sale of the carton factory as a scam and alleges that machinery worth Rs 28 crore was sold as scrap while the BJP maintains that it was obsolete and had outlived its life. Bragta asserts that the government had opened an engineering college in its place which was a useful addition.

The state of the Theog-Hatkoti road, which is being widened under a World Bank Project, is the hottest issue. Rohit alleges that apple worth Rs 700 crore was damaged in 2010 as the road remained blocked for weeks during winter. Bragta says the Chinese company which failed to carry out the work as per schedule the main culprit. The government had terminated the contract and fresh tenders were being invited. In the meantime, the maintenance had been handed over to the Public Works Department.

He says the government is working on a permanent solution to transportation problems of apple growers by constructing a modern market at Paralla at a cost of over Rs 100 crore. A small market has been set up at Kharapathar and a modern grading and packing house at Gumma.

Rohit maintains that the Congress will promote anti-hail nets in a big way, for which it has promised to give 80 per cent subsidy. The Congress is taking credit for all cold stores and packing and grading houses being set up in the state for which funds have been provided by the Centre.

There is infighting in the Congress and supporters of the rival camp owing allegiance to Virbhadra Singh are not putting their heart and soul in Rohit’s campaign. In a close fight, every worker and vote matters and the unstinted support of the rival camp is essential for Rohit to win.

Kutlehar: In the Kutlehar Assembly constituency, BJP candidate Virender Kanwar is pitted against Ram Dass Malangad of the Congress, a former BJP leader who got elected twice on the BJP ticket from this constituency in 1993 and 1998. Malangad, who managed to break dominance of the Congress in this constituency after getting elected on the BJP ticket, was expelled from that party. He later joined the Congress.

Virender Kanwar has also been elected twice from this constituency. Kanwar, who held the post of Chief Parliamentary Secretary and maintained good relations with Chief Minister PK Dhumal, claims credit for several development works undertaken by the Dhumal government in this area. He tells voters that he had been instrumental in initiating work on the Bangana tunnel, opening the SDM office and building of Bangana express highway etc.

Kanwar is facing anti-incumbency. A section of the BJP had opposed the allotment of ticket to him and had approached the party high command and the state leaders to replace him.

This faction accuses Kanwar of ignoring grassroots workers by not taking them into confidence. These people are also opposed to his style of functioning. Malangad is soft-spoken and mixes well with rural people. He has a good rapport with villagers.

A Congress faction is also not happy with his joining the Congress and allotment of the ticket to him. There is an apprehension that a few Congress leaders would make efforts to sabotage his prospects.

Fatehpur: This constituency was carved out in the recent delimitation exercise. Most of the areas of this constituency were a part of the Jawali constituency earlier. The rebel factor is haunting the BJP in this constituency. The party has nominated Baldev Thakur, former block president, as its candidate from here. Baldev, a government contractor, is a greenhorn in electoral politics. However, simpleton Baldev has been striking rapport with voters in this predominantly rural constituency.

Sudha Sushant, wife of sitting BJP MP from Kangra Rajan Sushant, is contesting as an Independent from Fatehpur after being denied the party ticket. Rajan Sushant conducted a sustained campaign against Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal over the past two years. Denial of party ticket to his wife in the Fatehpur byelection, after his election as an MP, was the main reason behind Rajan Sushant falling apart with the CM.

Rajan Sushant openly levelled charges of corruption against the CM that caused major embarrassment to the BJP in the state. He was suspended from the parliamentary board of the party, but not expelled from the party. Rajan Sushant’s son Dhariya Sushant also joined the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) and became state president of its youth wing. However, just before the elections, the father-son distanced itself from the HLP also. Sources said Rajan Sushant was seeking the ticket for his wife, but was not obliged by the party.

Sources said Sudha Sushant was getting sympathy and could seriously mar chances of the official candidate of the BJP. Congress candidate from Fatehpur Sujjan Singh Pathania is a gentle giant. Royal scion Sujjan Singh Pathania is popular among the masses.

He is known for singing “Jugni” songs in Punjabi during political rallies. Voters are of the opinion that he might not be able to get people’s work done, but he is easily approachable. He is also the sitting MLA and BJP rebels are helping him better his prospects for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Hamirpur, October 26
National vice-president of the BJP Shanta Kumar has asked UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to explain her family’s position about allegations of her family having money in Swiss bank accounts.

Talking to mediapersons here, he said: “A Swiss newspaper had allegedly carried a report in 1990, wherein it was stated that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has deposited over 2.5 million dollars in a bank account and till now his family has not refuted this allegation.”

He said: “Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should tell the nation specifically whether their family has money in any foreign bank account or not.”

Attacking HPCC chief Virbhadra Singh, he said: “The allegations against Virbhadra in the Ispat pay-off case have fully exposed him and he should not remain in active politics till he cleared from these charges.”

In reply to a question about the allegations of financial irregularities against national BJP president Nitin Gadkari, he said Gadkari had already offered to face any probe in these allegations but there should not be two sets of rules and the Centre should also hold a probe into the alleged corruption charges against Congress leaders too.

Expressing concern on corruption in politics nowadays, he said: “It is painful that politics is no more a social service and majority of leaders want to amass wealth after entering politics.”

Kangra, October 26
All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Sonia Gandhi will visit Kangra town on October 30 to address a public meeting in support of Congress candidates of this region at the local municipal stadium.

State Youth Congress vice-president Raguvir Singh Bali stated this here today. Earlier, she was scheduled to address a public meeting on October 22 here, which was put off due to security reasons.

Ajay Verma, secretary, HPCC, said Sonia’s visit would boost the winning prospects of Congress candidates that would result in the change of the government in the state.

He said people of the state, especially youth, were a dejected lot as the Dhumal government had left them disappointed.

Shimla, October 26
The Congress today came out with the details of funds provided by the Centre to rebut the charge of Chief Minister PK Dhumal that the UPA regime had meted out a step-motherly treatment to the state and that it failed to utilise Rs 10,000 crore available under various Central schemes.

Former Punjab minister S Singla said Dhumal had been forced to resort to such tactics after his ‘development plank’ fell flat due to ‘indifferent’ performance of the government over the past five years.

He alleged that the most glaring example of the government’s incompetence was provided by its failure to prepare development plan for Shimla, which was specially brought under the JNNURM by relaxing the minimum population norm.

He added that the mission was launched in 2007, but the BJP government submitted the plan on March 8, 2011, due to which the state could not avail Rs 4,000 crore over the past four years.

He said details of funds not utilised by the state were available in the CAG reports for 2008-09 and 2010-11.

According to the report, it failed to utilise 39 to 65 per cent of the funds under various heads in 2009-10.The amount lapsed because of non-utilisation included Rs 418 crore (under the education head), Rs 113 crore (health), Rs 114 crore (power), Rs 125 crore (ARDRP), Rs 113 crore (roads), Rs 125 crore (hospitals), Rs 50 crore (tribal sub plan), Rs 95 crore ( rural development ), Rs 75 crore (transport) and Rs 54 crore (housing). During 2011-12, over Rs 400 crore lapsed due to non-utilisation, which included Rs 5o crore (PWD), Rs 58 crore (health) and Rs 52 crore (revenue). The state lost Central funds to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore because of inadequate or non-utilisation. In 2008-09, the Centre provided Rs 977.60 crore under various national programmes, out of which only Rs 446 crore was utilised and in 2010-11, only Rs 663 crore, out of Rs 1,352 crore was utilised.

Singla said with such a ‘dismal’ track record, the BJP should refrain from accusing the UPA of discrimination against the state. 

Paonta Sahib/Shillai, October 26
Chief Minister PK Dhumal said today that the large scale corruption ‘executed’ by the Congress would cost them ‘dear’ in the elections as no amount of explanation would help erase the ‘image of scams’ worth several lakh crores from the minds of the common man.

Addressing public rallies at various parts of Sirmaur, including Paonta Sahib, Shillai and Dadahu in favour of BJP candidates Sukh Ram, Baldev Tomar and Suresh Kashyap, the Chief Minister urged the voters to vote for them as the government had carried out an all-round development of the state.

He said while the common man had been burdened with abrupt and extraordinary hike in the price of diesel, LPG and petrol, the Congress-led UPA government appeared to be ‘unfazed’ by the plight of the common man.

He said the Congress had ‘failed’ to provide any relief to the common man in its poll manifesto.

Dhumal asked Pradesh Congress Committee president Virbhadra Singh to share with the people of Himachal his knowledge about which trees could provide prosperity to them.

He took the Congress to task for trying to ‘belittle’ the achievement of the state government in introducing free uniform to school students. He alleged that though the Congress was quick to avail the benefits of various schemes like the CFL scheme, they chose to oppose it publicly, thus exposing their dubious face.

The Chief Minister said the Congress government had ‘failed’ to protect the interests of the state and it was amply illustrated in the past five years. He said despite the presence of two Union Ministers from the state, the industrial package and quota of rice and kerosene had been reduced, thus burdening the common man.

He alleged that the Central industrial package, which had been announced by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to bring about industrial development, was diluted by the Congress-led UPA government. This had severely hit employment generation in the state, he added.

Shimla, October 26
Demanding that Virbhadra Singh must come out clean on the issue of his income, the BJP today said it would move the court against the former Chief Minister once the election process was over.

“Virbhadra Singh must come out with detailed explanation and not threaten the media if he has not dome anything wrong,” demanded Satya Pal Jain, former MP and national convener of the BJP legal cell. He was addressing a press conference here today.

“As per election rules, we cannot move court right now. But once the poll process is over, we will take the matter to the court,” he said in reply to a question. He said the affidavit filed by Virbhadra Singh while filing his nomination for the Assembly elections has raised doubts in everyone’s mind.

Jain said Virbhadra Singh was welcome to file a defamation suit against Arun Jaitley or anyone else, but he owed an explanation to the people. “The question is not how Jaitley got those documents, but whether they are authentic or not and the signature are yours,” he said.

Jain said it was not just the BJP that was pointing fingers at Virbhadra Singh, his own party men had also made statements raising doubts on his integrity. “Congress candidate from Dalhousie Asha Kumari has clearly said it was a choice between the devil and the deep sea (in reference to Virbhadra Singh) so he must not accuse others of hitting out at him,” he said.

The BJP leader said the past record showed that Virbhadra Singh had lodged defamation proceedings against Shanta Kumar, Vijai Singh Mankotia and others and later withdrawn the cases. “Let Virbhadra Singh and Mankotia sit together and answer as to why they have joined hands when the latter had released a CD against the former,” he said.

Dharampur/Baldwara, October 26
HPCC president Virbhadra Singh today adopted an aggressive posture and charged that Chief Minister PK Dhumal and his certain ministerial colleagues had “looted the state’s wealth, politicised the police force to settle political vendetta and ruled the state like a mafia raj” for the past nearly five years.

Addressing three mammoth rallies at Baldwara, Dharampur and Jogindernagar in support of Congress candidates Rangila Ram Rao, Chander Shekhar and Surinderpal today, Virbhadra said his 50 years in public life was like an open book.

On the other, “BJP’s father-son duo”, including ministers, pursued only one agenda of looting the state wealth.

He attacked BJP’s senior national leader Arun Jaitley and PK Dhumal, who have given statements against him over the alleged “VBS-Ispat case”.

He said they would be made accountable for an alleged “character assassination” by people on November 4 when the latter would vote out “this most corrupt government of the most corrupt Chief Minister”.

Virbhadra said: “Dhumal has come from Jalandhar to loot the wealth of the state and people would send him back to Jalandhar on November 4”.

He further said: “The roads are in a bad shape, there are no doctors in hospitals and no teachers in schools and the Chief Minister and his ministers have no time to attend to these issues.”

He promised good governance and fulfillment of commitments made to employees and the public at large. BJP men tried to disrupt the Congress rally at Dharampur by raising slogans from the vehicle top, but there was no policemen to prevent the same.

Virbhadra said he had been a five-time Chief Minister, but he was upset to see how the police had been politicised by the BJP government in the past five years.

He cautioned voters not to fall in the trap of moneybags and liquor mafias and vote for the Congress.

Shimla, October 26
Expressing concern over the increasing role of money power in electoral politics, the Social Welfare and Reforms Council of India has urged the Election Commission to make disclosure of income source mandatory.

Chairman of the council Rajeshwar Negi said here today that the declared assets of candidates were increasing manifold with each poll, but these were not being scrutinised for sources of income and as such the entire provision of declaration of assets had become meaningless as far as checking corruption is concerned. In a memorandum to the President, the council had suggested that a column should be added in the affidavit to provide for declaration of the annual income and its sources. Every candidate should file only one affidavit containing all vital information under Section 33A of the Representation of the People Act, the council has demanded.

Moreover, making any false declaration before the Election Commission or any other authority designated by it should be treated as an electoral offence under Section 8(1)(i) of the Representation of People Act, inviting disqualification.

The council has also demanded that the information regarding sources of income, assets, antecedents and criminal liabilities of candidates should not only be put on the official website, but also published for public information in the constituency of the respective candidate.

Bilaspur/Mandi, October 26
BSP national president Mayawati has exhorted voters in the hill state to oust both the BJP and the Congress from power. She said people should bring the BSP to power if they wanted to see the difference between corrupt and self-centred governments and a pro- people government.

Addressing a party rally at Luhnu ground this afternoon, she said it was the BSP that first routed both these parties in Uttar Pradesh. Once the people of UP realised the difference between them and the BSP, they never again dreamt of returning these parties to power in that state. She became the Chief Minister of the biggest state of the country four times because of the policies of her government, she claimed.

She said the pro-people measures initiated by her successive governments in UP had made voters forget the Congress and the BJP. Now they were far better off than the people of adjoining state where these two parties had been ruling one after the other, she said.

She said poverty and unemployment were two major problems of Himachal Pradesh. If the people of Himachal gave a chance to the BSP to serve them, the face of the state would change within five years. The people would forget the Congress and the BJP forever, she said.

She cautioned people against the “mischievous propaganda” that the BSP only catered to interests of the Dalits and Scheduled Castes. The BSP believed in the welfare of “Sarva Samaj”, society without any differentiation, she said.

Addressing a rally in Mandi, Mayawati said the BSP was in favour of reservation for members of backward sections among upper castes, too. She claimed her party had also conveyed it to Centre, but the UPA government had not responded yet.

Mayawati’s visit to Himachal comes at a time when the party is in tatters in the hill state. Party’s Rajput leader has deserted it and joined the Congress. But Mayawati looked unfazed by the BSP’s sorry state of affairs in the state and even in UP.