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In Himachal, Virbhadra, 83, prepares for battle, faces divided BJP (News Analysis)
By Vishal Gulati
Shimla, Oct 10 (IANS) After thwarting foes within, six-time Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 83, is set to don battle gear once again with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi declaring him the “commander” who will lead the party to victory.
In contrast, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which contends it is confident of clawing back to power in the hill state, is still a divided house.
“There is too much confusion over who will lead the party in the forthcoming assembly elections,” a senior state BJP leader, who did not wish to be identified, told IANS.
He said the party is divided in two camps — one led by two-time Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and the other by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.
Nadda, who has been devoting much time and energy in the state launching central projects and programmes, played a key role in the 2014 election, helping the party win all four parliamentary seats even though a Congress government was in office.
“The party cadre and the leaders are totally confused over who the party leader is. Who will take the party to the victory,” wondered a senior BJP leader, a cabinet minister in the previous Dhumal-led government.
He said at least the Congress leadership had sorted out issues related to the one-upmanship between the Chief Minister and state Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu ahead of the polls.
Ending months of speculation and turmoil within the party, Rahul Gandhi last Saturday announced at a public meeting in Mandi town that Virbhadra Singh will “become the Chief Minister for the seventh time”.
Clearly indicating the party stands behind Singh, who is facing cases related to disproportionate assets, he said: “Virbhadra Singh ji has done tremendous development as six-time Chief Minister. He will be the Chief Minister for the seventh time. This will have full backing of the party.”
“Rahul Gandhi’s public announcement clearly indicated that Virbhadra Singh will lead the party in the elections and will have a say in the allocation of tickets too,” said a Congress leader.
He added that Singh, who has been in active politics for over 50 years and is a regular target of the BJP, is considered a threat only by top state leaders but not by the cadre.
“The party’s workers at the grassroots are emotionally connected to Virbhadra Singh and with Rahul Gandhi clearing the air about the party leadership, their morale has been boosted,” added the leader, once a cabinet minister in the Virbhadra government.
Informed sources said Virbhadra Singh had categorically told Congress President Sonia Gandhi in late August that he would not take the party into the assembly elections under state chief Sukhu’s leadership.
At that time, the Chief Minister, along with his cabinet colleagues, camped in New Delhi for three days to seek a “free hand” in the selection of candidates and the conduct of the party’s campaign ahead of assembly polls.
Rahul Gandhi was out of India at that time.
Despite the Congress sorting out its leadership issues, the BJP remains confident of regaining the ground it lost in the 2012 assembly election.
It also feels Virbhadra Singh is on the brink of political “collapse” following charges framed against him and his family by a CBI court in connection with a money-laundering case.
Dhumal has often hinted that Congress legislators were unhappy with Virbhadra Singh and were in touch with him.
Without naming Virbhadra Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a recent visit to Bilaspur to lay the foundation of a Rs 1,350 crore AIIMS hospital and launch the party’s election campaign, said: “This is a zamanati sarkar (government on bail).”
“When some people of the Congress came to meet me, I told them the Chief Minister and his entire family are out on bail… Then the Congress people replied that our entire party is on bail, our (Congress) President is facing corruption charges,” Modi said.
Undeterred by the court cases and carping critics, Virbhadra Singh has been aggressively touring the state for the past six months, laying foundation stones and inaugurating infrastructure projects.
Only time will tell whether the veteran politician will succeed in leading his troops to victory in what must surely be his last electoral joust.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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