National
Politics in Himachal heats up with poll announcement
Shimla, Oct 12 (IANS) Politics in the cool environs of Himachal Pradesh is set to heat up with the Election Commission on Thursday sounding the poll bugle.
Political observers say the ruling Congress this time has managed an edge over its seemingly somnolent rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by clearing its chief ministerial candidate.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has named six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 83, to lead the party in the election campaigning and if the party returns to power he will be the chief ministerial candidate.
The BJP is still dithering over its Chief Minister candidate. The main contenders are Leader of Opposition and two-time Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, who is known in political circles for his proximity to party’s organizational leadership.
The Election Commission announced that the state would vote for a new assembly on November 9 and the counting would be held on December 18. The term of the 68-member assembly ends on January 7 next year.
The Congress is far ahead of its arch rival as far as campaigning at the grassroots level is concerned.
While Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has already carried out a whirlwind tour of the state ahead the announcement of polls, the BJP is banking on its central top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah.
The only saving grace for the BJP is that its state election committee did the preliminary exercise of screening candidates for the 68 assembly constituencies at a meeting on Wednesday where Dhumal and Nadda were present, among others.
The party evolved consensus on a single name on 45 segments, a senior BJP leader told IANS.
In the 2012 elections to the 68-member assembly, which saw a voter turnout of 73.92 per cent, the Congress won 36 seats, the BJP 26 and Independents six.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has already announced that he would not re-contest from the Shimla (Rural) assembly seat that he is currently representing.
He has announced that his son Vikramaditya Singh would contest his maiden assembly election from that seat.
Congress veteran and eight-time legislator Vidya Stokes, 89, who is the Irrigation and Public Health Minister in the present government, is planning not to re-contest owing to old age. She’s keen that Virbhadra Singh should contest this time from her bastion, Theog in Shimla district.
The Chief Minister is still weighing his options to contest from Theog or from some other seat.
“The Chief Minister can contest anywhere – from Shimla, Una or Kangra districts. This is his personal decision,” Vikramaditya said while confirming that he is contesting from the seat that his father currently represents.
Within the BJP there is too much confusion over who will lead the party in the elections, a senior state BJP leader, who did not wish to be identified, admitted.
He said the party is divided in two camps — one led by Dhumal and the other by Nadda.
“The party cadre and the leaders are totally confused over who the party leader is. Who will take the party to victory,” wondered a senior BJP leader, a cabinet minister in the previous Dhumal-led government.
Ending months of speculation and turmoil within the Congress, Rahul Gandhi announced at a public meeting in Mandi town on October 7 that Virbhadra Singh will “become the Chief Minister for the seventh time”.
“Certainly, it has given a push to the Congress ahead of the assembly polls. There has been a massive public response after Rahul Gandhi announced my chief ministerial candidature,” an elated Virbhadra Singh told reporters in Shimla after the announcement by Gandhi.
“The BJP should also declare its chief ministerial candidate. Let the people know who is going to be their leader. They will vote on the basis of CM (Chief Minister) face,” Virbhadra Singh said.
Congress leader and former Union Minister Anand Sharma, who is known in political circles as a “rival” of Virbhadra Singh, said: “It’s the policy of the party to give a chance to the sitting incumbent Chief Minister to lead the party in the next election.”
He was here on Thursday and replying to a media query over announcing the chief ministerial candidate before the election results.
The BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections had won all the four seats with a vote percentage of 53.85 per cent. At that time, the Congress, which was at helm in the state, got 41.07 per cent votes.
–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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