 "Asha Kumari")
She has been a Congress MLA in Himachal Pradesh four times and lost the previous election by only around 2,000 votes to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She cannot contest elections any more because of her conviction in a criminal case, in which she has been ordered a year in jail and is currently out on bail.
However, Asha Kumari, one of the biggest headaches of Himachal chief minister Virbhadra Singh, has got a new lease of life following her appointment as in-charge of the Punjab election campaign for the party.
Who is she and why is she so important?
She had emerged as principal rival and outspoken critic of Virbhadra Singh especially during his tenure as Union steel minister in the earlier United Progressive Alliance government. Probably why the Congress high command elevated her in the organisation in Delhi. It is the world's worst kept secret that the party leadership had little time for Virbhadra Singh and still less patience but had no option but to continue with him as CM because of his following in Himachal's Chamba region.
Enter Asha Kumari, also from Chamba. The party thought its problems had been solved until Kumari's conviction. The case dates back to 1998. On January 4, 2005, the judge in question had indicted her and others on five counts in the case, saying they'd have to undergo a trial on these counts.
She got relief from the high court but this was set aside by the Supreme Court. Which observed: "We are of the opinion that the impugned order has resulted in miscarriage of justice. It will have to be, therefore, set aside. We confirm the order framing charge dated 4.1.2005, passed by learned Special Judge, Chamba, and direct him to proceed further in accordance with law."
She was convicted and sentenced to a year in jail in February this year.
The background is interesting. In 1998, a complaint was filed against Kumari, her husband Brijender Singh (since deceased) and revenue department officials, by Kuldeep Singh, a Dalhousie-based former municipal councillor. The complainant had alleged that Kumari and Brijender Singh, in connivance with revenue department officials, manipulated records, forged documents and got 67.3 bighas belonging to the government transferred to Brijender Singh.
The vigilance department inquired into the complaint and registered a police case against Asha Kumari, Brijender Singh and revenue department officials on charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. The Chamba judge then framed the charges.
The high court, while granting relief to Kumari, set aside the Chamba judge's order on the ground that the accused were denied the opportunity of being heard. The Supreme Court's order said the lower court had not applied its mind and said the trial court had been right all along.
However, the Congress is defending her to the hilt. She has much riding for her in the Punjab election. It remains to be seen what she can achieve.
