The HImachal Pradesh BJP has alleged that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh called about 100 government employees from his constituency to his official residence ‘Oakover’ on Saturday and ordered them to work and vote for Congress candidate Mohan Lal Brakta, who is contesting from the Shimla (reserved) seat.
The party complained to the Chief Election Commissioner that the State Electoral Officer was not taking any action on its complaints against the Congress government.
The BJP alleged that Mr. Singh also threatened the government employees — from the Shimla rural (Assembly) constituency — with dire consequences and ‘transfers to remote and tribal areas’ of the State if they failed to ensure the victory of the Congress candidate.
It has also alleged in its complaint that the Chief Minister had changed his official residence into a party office and deployed three retired IAS officers to run the campaign from there. The BJP has requested the Election Commission to immediately suspend these officers and check the misuse of CM’s residence. The Chief Minister otherwise stays in his private residence named Holly Lodge on Jakhu hills.
Sujanpur by-electionMeanwhile, the Congress on Friday gave the ticket for the Sujanpur Assembly segment to Anita Rana, wife of its Lok Sabha candidate Rajinder Rana. The by-election was called as Mr. Rana, who was an Independent MLA, resigned and joined the Congress recently. He was made the party candidate from the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency despite opposition from the PCC president Sukhwinder Singh. The candidature of Mr. Rana, a former Dhumal protégé, was also opposed by the Hamirpur district party unit. But Mr. Virbhadra Singh wanted him to contest against Anurag Thakur, BCCI joint secretary and son of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Now again it is Mr. Singh who has given ticket to Mr. Rana’s wife for fighting the Vidhan Sabha elections despite resistance from the local party unit, said the insiders.
