Reckong Peo (Kinnaur), April 26
The tribal district of Kinnaur in the Mandi parliamentary constituency has taken a lead in creating awareness about the elections and the importance of exercising the right to vote, but campaigning is a low-key affair here.

The indifferent attitude of politicians towards these remote areas is to be blamed. The residents are still recovering from the aftermath of devastating floods that ravaged the area last year, but have no one to share their plight with.

There are about 53,000 voters in this Assembly segment bordering Tibet. A total of 53.2 per cent (27,513 of 51,883) voters exercised their franchise in the Mandi Lok Sabha by-elections held in June 2013 in the midst of the worst calamity that struck the area.

A high-pitched awareness campaign motivating electorates to vote has been spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner (DC) DD Sharma, who is the first DC in the country to have a caller tune appealing voters to vote on May 7 and ensure 100 per cent voting. The appeal is in Hindi with folk music playing in the background. The message is spreading fast as a large number of officials and motivators have copied the tune.

A 3.28-minute Kinnauri folk video prepared by a local youth Kapil Sharma appealing to people to cast their vote without any pressure, fear or allurement is being distributed with a slogan “Har ghar mein sandesh pahunchaana, mahilaaon, buzurgon ki vote dilaana” (take the message to every home that women and the aged must vote).

Cut-outs of Election Commission’s brand ambassador and first voter of Independent India, Shyam Saran Negi (98), have been displayed in the area, calling the people to exercise their franchise.

In another novel initiative, the DC has asked officials to put stamps on all newspapers distributed in the area with the message “Sare kaam chhod do, sabse pehle vote do” (leave all other works and vote first).

In the run-up to the polls, another 25-minute video is being prepared for screening at prominent places with messages from cine star Aamir Khan, DC, SP and other celebrities to vote.

Palampur, April 26
Senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar, who is contesting from the Kangra seat, today asked voters to come out in maximum number and cast votes in favour of the BJP to make Narendra Modi the next Prime Minister of the country.

Shanta Kumar mobilised voters and visited poll booths in the town and adjoining areas. He asked voters to exercise the right to vote given to them by the Constitution of India. He said they should not forget that their votes could elect or oust a government.

He asked the first timers and youths to vote for Modi as he would combat the problem of unemployment in the country.

In polling booths located in rural areas such as Paror, Dheera and Kharot, Shanta received an overwhelming response from the public.

Later, while talking to the media at Palampur, Shanta said he noticed that rising prices of essential commodities, fertilisers and petroleum products were the main issues that had hit the common man during the past 10 years. “The public want to oust the UPA government from power and the BJP, headed by Narendra Modi, is the only alternative left with them.” 

Shimla, April 26
The BJP today dubbed the action of the state government to charge sheet former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and son and HPCA chief Anurag Thakur as a political conspiracy.

Party spokesman Ganesh Dutt said: “The challan in the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) case has been filed in haste to divert the attention of the public from real issues and the failures of the Congress government. The move is not unexpected.”

Criticising the action of the government as mala fide and pre-meditated, Dutt said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was himself facing corruption charges and the filing of a chargesheet in the court was a ploy to divert the attention of people from corruption of the Congress leader and tarnish the image of BJP leaders.

“Virbhadra Singh has added a black chapter in the political history of Himachal and the filing of a chargesheet, 10 days prior to the Lok Sabha polls, raises serious suspicion over the intentions of the government,” he alleged. Anurag, who is national president of the BJYM and seeking re-election from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, said he would fight the “false” charges levelled against him. 

Janjehli (Mandi), April 26
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has questioned the authority of former CM PK Dhumal for making statements regarding the “dismissal” of the state government after the Lok Sabha elections on May 16.

Addressing election rallies to seek votes for Pratibha Singh, the Congress candidate from the Mandi constituency, at Jenjehli and Thachi under Seraj Assembly segment, Virbhadra said: “Neither is Dhumal the President of India nor has he been authorised by the President. But he is still making statements regarding the dismissal of the state government.”

Taking on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he said: “Today all senior BJP leaders have been sidelined and the election has been centered on one person. This is dangerous for the democracy of our country.”

He said: “There are many contenders for the PM's post within the BJP itself, because there are many capable persons other than Modi.”

Questioning the huge expenditure on Modi’s campaign, he said the Election Commission of India should take cognizance of the source of money being spent.

He said: “Though the Gujarat model of development is being sold by Modi, he has never explained to people what this model is. Himachal Pradesh has also emerged as a model state in the field of development and work done here in education and health has been appreciated at the national level.”

Narrating development works undertaken by the Congress government, the CM said: “The Congress government has carried extensive development in the area while the local MLA who remained an important minister in the previous BJP government failed to carry enough development here.”

Una, April 26
Lt Gen HS Panag (retd) today led a roadshow in Una in support of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Hamirpur seat Kamal Kanta Batra.

Former Army Commando Surinder Singh, who was elected to the Delhi Assembly from the Cantonment seat as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate, accompanied the General.

Aam Aadmi Party activists received Lt General Panag and Surinder Singh at the Mehatpur inter-state barrier, from where the two were taken in an open jeep on to the route of the 12-km roadshow.

The campaigners passed through Mehatpur, Dehlan, Behdala, Jalgran and Bhadolian villages before entering Una at about 1.30 pm.

Aam Aadmi Party leaders waved to shopkeepers and people on roadsides, appealing to them to vote for the party candidate. 

Kullu, April 26
All-India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to address a rally at the Dhalpur Maidan here on May 2.

Addressing a press conference here today, HPCC vice-president Harsh Mahajan said Rahul Gandhi would also address public rallies at Bilaspur and Solan on May 1.

He said BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi had a dictatorial attitude and seven IAS and IPS officers not toeing the line of the Gujarat Chief Minister were put behind bars.

He said three ministers of the Modi government were convicted in corruption cases. He advised BJP's star campaigner to settle issues in his home state than advise and blame others.

He claimed that the growth of health and education sectors in Himachal was better than that in Gujarat. He said infant mortality rate of Gujarat was the highest in the country.

Commenting on a 3D show of Modi that was scheduled for this evening at Rambagh in the Akhara Bazar area of the town, he said Modi would only be available in 3D to the masses.

He hoped that the ECI took note of such 3D rallies which required high expenditure and were being organised throughout the country.

He said Pratibha Singh, the Congress candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency, visited Banjar and consoled victims of a recent fire incident.

She is scheduled to address a public meeting at Banjar tomorrow and will head for Anni.

Kullu Congress president Budhi Singh Thakur, Zila Parishad president Hari Chand Sharma, Sunder Singh, Bhuvneshwar Gaur and other party members were present on the occasion. 

Sundernagar, April 26
A voters’ awareness rally was organised by students of Government Polytechnic College here today. The rally was aimed at making people aware of their voting right and persuading them to caste their ballot in the Lok Sabha elections.

Around 200 students from different streams, including 50 NCC cadets, participated in the rally, which was flagged off by Rajeshwar Goel, Director, Technical Education, Vocational and Industrial Training.

Students, along with staff of the college, took a round of the town and raised slogans. 

Chamba, April 26
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to be held on May 7, the Election Commission's awareness observer DS Malik has asked officials engaged in the voter awareness campaign to intensify voter awareness drive in every nook and corner of the state so that the public could be encouraged to exercise their franchise.

This was stated by the Election Commission's awareness observer while reviewing the campaign here today. He said the Election Commission had been trying to approach the voters, including those studying in schools and colleges through the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme.

On this occasion, Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, Kadam Sandeep Vasant said to promote voter participation, rallies were being conducted. He said a "sankalp patra" would be got filled by students from their parents in an effort to ensure they cast their votes on the polling date, May 7.

Arrangements such as drinking water, toilets and ramps had been made at the polling stations to ensure comfort of voters, the DC further said.

Later, Suman Minhas, district coordinator of the Saakshar Bharat Mission, said cricket matches would be organised under the aegis of the mission in those areas where the poll percentage had been recorded to be low during elections conducted in the past.

Minhas said over 5,000 new electors encouraged through the campaign of the mission had been registered in the district.

Mandi, April 26
Pratibha Singh, Congress candidate from Mandi, said most of the development works in the area were completed during the Congress regime while several schemes started during the present regime.

Addressing election meetings at Kadkoh, Baggi and Devdhar on Thursday, she said the emphasis of the Congress was on building roads and creating health facilities in villages.

She said the district had become one of the leading districts in the country and with the opening of the IIT and the ESIC medical college during the UPA regime, people of the area had been benefited.

She said a mother and child hospital and a cancer centre at the Zonal Hospital, Mandi, had also been started.

Rural Development Minister Anil Sharma said several development works were started here and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had announced to open an SDM rural office, besides other offices in the area.

Solan, April 26
The BJP might be harping on a Modi wave and seeking votes in the name of their prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, but it is unemployment, poor roads, price rise and corruption which have emerged as the key issues in these polls.

The Congress, on the other hand, is focusing on irregularities, including grant of land to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and development works undertaken by them in the state to seek votes.

While the political rhetoric may appeal to cohorts of political parties when it comes to believing that they can garner votes for their respective parties, the common man is not much enthused by these issues as unemployment, price rise, poor condition of roads, lack of adequate water and corruption touch him more closely.

Nitish Kumar, who completed his engineering last year and is struggling to get a job, said unemployment and lack of jobs both in the private and public sector were a matter of concern as many like him could neither afford a post-graduate degree nor stay jobless, especially since his parents had spent lakhs on his professional degree.

Upon approaching several industrial units in the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh for employment, all he got was empty assurances, with managements citing recession.

Sharing his plight, Raman Kumar, a B Tech professional, said there were hardly any jobs in the public sector and though private universities arranged some placements, students failed to sustain such jobs as their services were terminated after a few months on the plea of lack of performance.

He wondered how a petty skill development allowance of Rs 1,000 per month would help an unskilled youth acquire employable skills when trained graduates had failed to find jobs.

There are 22.16 per cent voters in the 18-29 years age group in the state which comprise a sizeable chunk of the electorate. Of the 47,40,044 voters in the state, 24,41,162 are men and 22,98,882 women.

Women have their own tale of woes, and issues like price rise, especially the skyrocketing price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), is their biggest grouse. Alka Sharma, a housewife, while terming price rise as the most crucial poll issue, said the Congress government at the Centre had asserted that it was undertaking a survey of all households and different slabs depending on the income limit would be chalked out to allocate LPG at varying prices.

Accordingly, families with lower income would have got LPG at subsidised price, while those with a monthly income of more than Rs 50,000 would have fallen under the non-subsidised category. This system was not adopted and the price of essential commodities had swelled.

The abysmally poor condition of roads, including national and state highways, was another issue, which people felt could turn the tide as potholes and bumpy driving had become the order of the day.

Lekh Ram, who hails from Majra village in Nalagarh, said there was no road which was without potholes. He said it was astonishing where the annual budget allocated for repair of roads and bridges was being spent.

Industrial workers, who are fed up with the contract labour system wherein they are paid lesser wages considering the work they do, said the whims and fancies of the unit managements prevailed above all and they were compelled to accept contractual work despite laws prohibiting contractual work beyond a limit.

Shimla, April 26
Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said Ambika Soni, Congress parliamentary candidate from the Anandpur Sahib constituency, had taken up the issue of the Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib ropeway with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

Agnihotri said Soni had personally spoken with the Chief Minister so that decks could be cleared for the project. The ropeway project would facilitate pilgrims, besides strengthening inter-state relations between two states.

He said Soni was keen that the ambitious 3.75-km project to link the famous shrines of Naina Devi in Himachal Pradesh and Anandpur Sahib in Punjab would be reconsidered, which would not only boost tourism activities in both states, but also facilitate pilgrims visiting the shrine.

?Because of its paramount socio-religious importance for both states, Virbhadra had assured Soni that steps would be initiated to resume the project, the minister claimed.

He said the Congress governments laid emphasis on equitable development in the state and it was sure that this time also, the Congress would get maximum number of seats and form government at the Centre. "The Congress had always contested elections on development issues whereas the BJP was issueless and there was nothing concrete in their hollow claims," he remarked on Thursday.

He said Dhumal had been confined to the Hamirpur constituency because his son, Anurag Thakur, was not concerned about the state and its people. The BJP only seems to be banking on its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as it had nothing to talk on development issues pertaining to the state.

Una, April 26
Former Union Minister and Congress candidate from the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha seat Ambika Soni took the blessings of Baba Bal at the Radha Krishna temple in Kotla Kalan village near Una last night.

Former Nangal MLA KP Rana accompanied her.

Later, while speaking to mediapersons, Soni termed personal attacks on rival politicians during the run-up to the elections as unfortunate. She took strong exception to Baba Ramdev’s remarks about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi having “honeymoons in Dalit bastis”, saying that such remarks presented politics and politicians in poor light in a civilised society and that these needed to be condemned by one and all. 

Chamba, April 26
An ailing leopard, which was found lying in the Lunahar nullah near Gadodha village, 10 km from the town, was rescued by forest officials of Pukhri block this morning.

On receiving information today, senior forest officials, including Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) ARM Reddy and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dr Kirupasankar, rushed to the spot with tranquillising equipment. They took the animal into their possession easily as it was ill and didn’t show any resistance.

Later, the leopard was shifted to the government veterinary hospital in a cage and given medical treatment in the presence of senior forest officials as it was found to be suffering from epileptic seizures.

Reddy said the leopard, that appeared to have been deserted by its mother, had strayed into human habitation and later reached the riverbed in search of water and food.

“The leopard, weighing about 25 kg, is male and semi adult,” Reddy said, adding that forest officials, including Rajender Mehra, Kamal Kumar, Bhuvanesh and Kuldeep Kalia, had rushed the leopard to the veterinary hospital.

Reddy said the condition of the leopard was not critical and it was being kept under the observation of forest officials. It would later be shifted to the Dhauladhar Rescue Centre at Gopalpur in Kangra district, only when it was certified stable by vets, Reddy added.