Dhumal, Vikramaditya, Sukhu file papers
SHIMLA : With Monday being the last day for filing nominations, political heavyweights, including former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, state Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh rushed in to file their nominations papers for the Vidhan Sabha elections.
Congress party’s senior most leader, Vidya Stokes, too made a last-minute decision to enter the poll fray. Stokes, 89, had earlier announced that she would vacate the seat for chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who later shifted to Arki from Shimla rural.
The veteran leader, who had been complaining about stress and anxiety two days ago, said, “It is at the instance of local party workers that I reconsidered my decision.”
“I still have the will and courage to serve the people of the my constituency,” the leader said even a she looked frail and weak.
Soon after filing her nomination, Stokes attended a public meeting and announced that in her 48-year-long political career, she had always remained committed to serve the people. Stokes nomination filing was a low-key affair unlike other leaders in Shimla district who filed papers with much pomp and show.
In Shimla, chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh filed his nomination from Shimla rural. Vikramaditya was accompanied by his mother Pratibha Singh and his sisters Meenakshi and Aparijita Singh.
CHOPPERS CRISS-CROSS SKIES AS LEADERS RUSH FOR RALLIES
Choppers kept the skies busy as leaders of the main parties—Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party— crossed to attend rallies and functions organised by candidates to exhibit their political strength with a few of them even missing the muharat.
Chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who attended his son Vikramaditya’s Singh nomination filing in Shimla, later flew to Rampur. BJP’s party-in-charge for Himachal and Bihar’s health minister Mangal Pandey flew to Manali to attend nominations of BJP’s strongman Govind Thakur. He later flew to Hamirpur and then to Shimla.
Union health minister Jagat Parkash Nadda flew to Karsog and the then to Arki from where BJP’s Rattan pal filed his nomination. Uttrakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat landed at Tiuni and later travelled by road to Jubbal and addressed a rally seeking support for former horticulture minister Narender Bragta. Social justice minister Thahwar Chand Ghelot went to placate a rebel in Shimla’ and then flew to Fatehpur in Kangra.
CHIEF MINISTER VIRBHADRA SINGH’S SON VIKRAMADITYA SINGH FILED HIS NOMINATION FROM SHIMLA RURAL