Virbhadra goes all out to woo Kangra voters

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 22

The 12-day first phase of winter sojourn of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in Kangra district was marked by impromptu decisions and all out efforts of veteran Congress leaders to woo the voters of the politically most significant district of the state Kangra having 15 Assembly segments.

Initially, the first phase of the winter sojourn was planned for seven days from January 11 to January 17. It started on normal note with the Chief Minister inaugurating and laying foundation stones of various development projects in Dharamsala. The controversy of not being allowed on the stage during Rahul Gandhi rally at Dharamsala on December 24 continued during the sojourn as Minister for Transport, Food and Civil Supplies and Technical Education GS Bali maintained distance from the sojourn despite being present in Kangra district. At some places the Chief Minister reacted angrily when asked about absence of Bali from his programs by saying that he was not his ADC to accompany me everywhere.

Jibe at Sukhu

On the second day on the sojourn at Nurpur the Chief Minister took a jibe at the HPCC president Sukhwinder Sukhu with whom he was having estranged relations for some time. The Chief Minister said that Sukhu should first win his own elections. Sukhu also reacted that he could win election from anywhere in case prefix of CM was attacked to his name. The Chief Minister again retorted that elections are not won by CM prefix but by character.

At Nurpur the Chief Minister indicated at a tougher law against illegal mining in which the vehicles confiscated would be released only through courts.

Left high & dry

On the third day at Indora the independent MLA, Manohar Dhiman stole the show organized in Indora to welcome the Chief Minister while the traditional Congress leaders were left high and dry. The Chief Minister announced an SDM office at Indora and also announced a welfare board for Dhiman community.

On the fourth day the Chief Minister inaugurated the SDM office in Fatehpur, the Assembly constituency represented by Minister for Agriculture Sujjan Singh Pathania and announced various development schemes.

The Chief Minister spent a day in Bhatiyat Assembly constituency of Chamba district with the chairman of the pollution board, Kuldeep Pathania. The Chief Minister also visited the Baijnath and Palampur Assembly segments but not much was announced there but for inauguration and laying the foundation stones of the development project. By this time the winter sojourn of Chief Minister was extended by one day till January 18. Later it was extended to January 22 and then cut short by one day.

On trip to Sulah Assembly constituency represented by Congress MLA Jagjivan Pal, the Chief Minister announced another SDM office there taking the total numbers of SDM offices in Kangra district to 14 from eight during the stint of the previous BJP government.

Crucial Cabinet meeting

From January 18 the Chief Minister started chairing the meeting of welfare boards of different communities. He also chaired a Cabinet meeting on January 18. Just after coming out of Cabinet meeting while responding to queries of newsmen Chief Minister said that Dharamsala would be second capital of the state.

A minister, while talking to The Tribune on the condition of anonymity, said that the Chief Minister’s statement came as a surprise to him as well. His statement indicated that Dharamsala would be the second capital of Himachal where the entire government would shift for two winter months every year. The statement created a political storm that stunned the BJP as they failed to react to it.

The next day while the BJP leaders termed the Chief Minister’s statement as a mere political rhetoric during a rally of the block level workers of Kangra parliamentary constituency which attended by senior BJP leadership from state and Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley, Virbhadra made an official announcement to declare Dharamsala as second capital of the state.

During the meeting of welfare boards the CM also declared land on lease of Rs 1 for construction of Parshuram Bhavans at all district headquarters of the state to appease the Brahmin community.

The Chief Minister announcements in Kangra during the first phase of winter sojourn had stunned the opposition BJP as the elections are due in state this year. Now it remains to be seen what the second phase of Chief Minister’s sojourn that is likely to start in February brings for Kangra.