Arki rolls out red carpet for CM

Pratibha Chuahan

Tribune News Service

Arki (Solan), October 20

After keeping everyone guessing for days together about his electoral turf in the Assembly poll, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today filed his nomination papers amid much fanfare and enthusiasm from Arki, won by the BJP in the last two polls in 2007 and 2012.

This sleepy hamlet, 37 km from Shimla, was abuzz with political activity with Virbhadra arriving here today. Accompanied by his wife and former MP Pratibha Singh and son Vikramaditya Singh, he reached here to file his papers and inaugurate the election office. Prior to this, Virbhadra had contested from Shimla (Rural), Rohru and Jubbal Kotkhai in his political career spanning over five decades.

The small town, with the palace of the erstwhile ruler perched atop a tiny hill, had Congress banners fluttering with a flurry of activity as the fragmented Congress unit put up a united show to roll out a red carpet welcome to the man tipped to be the Chief Minister for the seventh time. “It is out of my personal choice that I chose to contest from here. The people are sincere, hard working but unfortunately the party was divided, so here I am to bring everyone under one umbrella,” said Virbhadra while addressing a public meeting after filing his nominations before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Arki, in Solan district. The BJP has won Arki in the last two elections in 2012 and 2007. He said he was by and large satisfied with the ticket distribution and the Congress would come back to power again.

Six ticket claimants from Arki Sanjay Awasthy, Amar Chand Chandel, Sanjay Thakur, Susheel Thakur, Rakesh Thakur and Rajinder Thakur were present on the dais to welcome and support the CM from here. “The people of Arki and we all consider ourselves blessed that the CM chose to contest from here. We all might have been claimants till yesterday but now each one of us will work wholeheartedly not only for your victory but also to ensure that your margin is the highest in Himachal,” said Awasthy. Interestingly, all speakers, including Ramesh Thakur, Block Congress Committee (BCC) president, assured the CM that he need not come here to campaign again as each party worker would work as if it was his own election. “We consider ourselves so privileged that Virbhadra chose to contest from here. He does not need to campaign as people will not get an MLA but a CM,” said Sheel Devi, from Uchaa Gaon in Kunihar Panchayat.

Someone should replace Sukhu: CM

Virbhadra said he was not in favour of the state Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu contesting the poll. “He should not have contested, but now, since Sukhu is contesting, someone else should take his place to manage the elections,” he said in reply to a question. He said contesting against the official party nominee amounted to indiscipline. He said GST and demonetisation by the NDA regime were the two biggest poll issues.