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Himachal CM calls on Sonia, seeks ‘free hand’ in assembly polls

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Shimla/New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) With elections to the Himachal Pradesh assembly looming large and his battle of one-upmanship with the state party President unabating, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, a state Minister said.

“Virbhadra Singh met Sonia Gandhi this morning and apprised her of the current political and organisational developments in Himachal Pradesh,” the Minister told IANS.

He said issues related to the ongoing tussle between the veteran Chief Minister and state Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and lack of coordination between the two also came up for discussion.

Informed sources said Virbhadra Singh categorically told Sonia Gandhi that he would not take the party into the assembly elections under Sukhu’s leadership.

The six-time Chief Minister was camping along with his cabinet colleagues in New Delhi for the last three days to seek a “free hand” in the selection of candidates and the conduct of the party’s election campaign ahead of assembly polls in December.

The last elections to the 68-member assembly were held in November 2012. The term of the current assembly ends in January 2018.

After meeting the Congress President, the Chief Minister returned to state capital Shimla.

He had met senior party functionaries, including Sonia Gandhi’s Political Secretary Ahmed Patel, in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The sources said Virbhadra Singh told the high command that he would neither contest the coming assembly polls nor lead the party in the present organisational set-up.

Virbhadra Singh, who has a letter of support from 27 legislators, even threatened to withdraw from the assembly elections if organisational changes were not made immediately, said a Congress leader.

“I do not wish to be belittled any more within the party as everyone seems to be going his own way,” the Chief Minister had said at a Congress Legislative Party meeting here on August 25.

“Whatever I am today is because of the party, which has given me everything. I wish to retire from politics gracefully.”

Interestingly, the same day he informally told his bete noire and two-time BJP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal that he would not be in the electoral arena this time.

Ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit to Delhi, senior Cabinet Minister Vidya Stokes had urged the party high command to give a “free hand” to Virbhadra Singh in the coming assembly elections since “people have more faith in a strong regional leadership”.

“He is the only capable leader to win the elections for the Congress and there is no substitute to Virbhadra Singh in Himachal Pradesh,” she said in a statement here.

Citing Congress win in February 4 Punjab assembly elections, Stokes said the victory was possible because of strong leadership of state leader Amarinder Singh.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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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