National
Ending speculation, BJP names Dhumal as Himachal CM candidate (Lead)
Shimla, Oct 31 (IANS) Ending days of speculations, the BJP on Tuesday announced Prem Kumar Dhumal would be its Chief Ministerial candidate in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh.
Addressing a public meeting in Rajgarh in Sirmaur district, BJP President Amit Shah said Virbhadra Singh, instead of talking about his work and responding to allegations of corruption against him, was only persistently asking them at all public platforms under whose leadership was the BJP contesting the polls.
“Throughout the country we are contesting under the leadership of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi… in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP is contesting under the leadership of Dhumal,” he said, drawing loud applause from the gathering.
“I want to tell Virbhadra Singh that the 2017 election would be contested under the name and leadership of our senior leader Dhumal,” Shah said.
The ruling Congress has already announced incumbent Virbhadra Singh as the next Chief Minister, if it retains power.
Shah, who started his five-day visit to the state on Monday, said: “I want to say this thing also that at present Dhumal is the former Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and after December 18, Dhumal would be the Chief Minister.”
However, the 73-year-old Dhumal, who is a two-time Chief Minister, was not present at the rally when his name was announced. In a tweet in Hindi later, he extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on behalf of the the state’s people.
Elections to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly will be held on November 9 and the votes counted on December 18 along with Gujarat.
Taking the lead after months of speculation and turmoil within the party, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on October 7 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.”
Since then the opposition BJP has facing posers from the Congress over their party leader.
“Till this announcement of Dhumal, there was too much confusion over who is to lead the party,” a senior state BJP leader, who did not wish to be identified, told IANS.
“At least it’s clear now,” he added.
Earlier, the party was divided in two camps — one led by Dhumal and the other by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.
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.
But in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won all the state’s four seats with a vote percentage of 53.85 per cent, while the Congress got 41.07 per cent votes.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
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.