Page 10 - Himachal Pradesh

Congress rebel Sudhir Sharma sends defamation notice to Himachal CM Sukhu

A day after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claimed six Congress rebels and three independents were sold for Rs 15 crore each, one of them, Sudhir Sharma, Friday sent a defamation notice to him asking for a Rs 5-crore compensation. Sharma is one of the Congress rebels. During a rally in Himachal's Una district, Sukhu had on Thursday alleged that the Congress rebels are corrupt and will go behind bars. He had said "we do not have money but we have honesty, morality and support of the people" and alleged that the six Congress rebels and three independents were sold for Rs 15 crore each. "We have proof as the facts have started unfolding in the police investigation and time has come to teach them a lesson," he had added. The CM had made the remarks against the nine legislators including six Congress rebels and three independents who had voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27. These MLA had later joined the BJP

Earthquake of 5.3-magnitude hits Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district

Tremors were felt in parts of north India as a 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday. The earthquake struck at 9.34 pm, the National Center for Seismology said. Mild tremors were also felt in Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana. The quake lasted for a few seconds. "I felt a strong jolt lasting a couple of seconds. Just when I was thinking of rushing downstairs, the tremors stopped," said Sanjay Kumar, a Chandigarh resident.

Chief secy assures CEC of conducting free-and-fair polls in Himachal

Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena assured Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday that the hill state will witness peaceful, fair and inducement-free Lok Sabha election and Assembly bypolls. Saxena gave the assurance while interacting with Kumar through a video-conference, according to a statement issued here. The Election Commission (EC) held a meeting with the chief secretaries and directors general of police of all states and Union territories as well as the heads of central agencies to ensure peaceful and inducement-free Lok Sabha polls. Kumar stressed for a level-playing field in the upcoming polls. While briefing the CEC, Saxena said adequate security measures have been put in place to seal the entry points to the state and the porous inter-state border in order to prevent bogus voting and the entry of illegal liquor and drugs. He also said a strict vigil is being maintained to prevent distribution of freebies and the movement of cash and ...

Himachal HC extends anticipatory bail of Ashish, Rakesh Sharma till Apr 26

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday extended the interim anticipatory bail of Hamirpur independent MLA Ashish Sharma and Rakesh Sharma, father of Gagret MLA Chaitanya Sharma, who were booked by the police for electoral offences and criminal conspiracy till April 26. Ashish, now BJP candidate from Gagret Vidhan Sabha, and Chetanya are among the nine MLAs, including six Congress rebels and three independents, who voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls. All of them later joined the BJP. Advocate General Anoop Rattan on Monday said that the High Court has extended the interim bail till April 26 and asked them to join the investigations and appear before the investigation officer whenever called. "We have mentioned in our status report that Rakesh Sharma, a retired bureaucrat, despite orders of the court did not join the investigations and threatened the investigation officer when asked to appear before the police," he said. Meanwhile,

Himachal Minister Vikramaditya says comments against Kangana 'unfortunate'

Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh on Saturday said the derogatory comments made against actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut were "unfortunate" even as he questioned her absence during the 2023 floods in the state. Ranaut has been fielded by the BJP as its candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat. She will take on Congress state chief and sitting Mandi MP Pratibha Singh -- the wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and the mother of Himachal Public Works Department minister Vikramaditya Singh. Days after Ranaut was named the BJP candidate from Mandi, the Congress kicked up a proverbial storm after derogatory comments about the actor and her constituency were posted on the social media handles of its leaders Supriya Shrinate and H S Ahir. "I would be the first to defend Kangana Ranaut if someone made an unwanted remark against her but where was she when the worst monsoon disaster struck Himachal?" Singh told reporters here, asserting that Ranaut was like his elder

168 roads closed as fresh spell of snow, rains lash parts of Himachal

Higher reaches and tribal areas received fresh spell of snow while low and middle hills were lashed by intermittent hail and rains on Saturday as the local MeT office predicted wet spell in Himachal Pradesh till April 4. A Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus turned turtle near Maling in the Kinnaur district after skidding on Saturday morning in the snow but no casualty was reported, an official said. Traffic came to a halt at the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang near Manali following heavy snow. Kalpa and Kukumseri received 5 cm of snow followed by Keylong with 3 cm of snow in the past 24 hours. A total of 168 roads, including three National Highways, were closed for vehicular traffic in the state on Friday night as per the data of the state emergency operation centre. Most of these roads are in a difficult terrain in Lahaul and Spiti, where 159 roads are still to be opened. Intermittent rains accompanied by lightning and gusty winds were witnessed in the state's capital Shiml

RBI fines Mandi cooperative bank in Rs 6 lakh for not complying with rules

The Mandi Urban Co-operative Bank faced the RBI penalty based on the select inspection of the bank conducted with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2022

Himachal CM's first reaction as BJP fields ex-Cong rebel MLAs in by-polls

The Congress had disqualified the six rebel MLAs, including Rajinder Rana for voting in favour of the BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan during the Rajya Sabha polls in February

Rajinder Rana hints at more Congress MLAs joining BJP in Himachal Pradesh

More legislators are feeling suffocated in the Congress and would also show courage to leave the party in the coming days, said Rajinder Rana, one of the six disqualified MLAs who switched to the BJP on Saturday. The Congress rebels and three independent MLAs, who had voted in favour of the BJP in recently concluded Rajya Sabha polls, were given a rousing welcome by the BJP on their arrival here after joining the party in New Delhi. "More legislators are feeling suffocated in Congress and are in contact with us. They would also show courage to leave Congress in the coming days," Rana told reporters here. He blamed the Congress leadership for the "political disaster" in the hill state and claimed the state government 'is on a ventilator". The BJP workers and supporters of these leaders danced to the traditional folk tunes while welcoming them here on Saturday night. The three independents are Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur constituency), Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra) and K L Thakur (Nalagarh) ha

Disqualified Congress MLAs, Independents in Himachal likely to join BJP

Several former MLAs of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly are expected to join the BJP and contest the upcoming bypolls on its ticket, sources said on Saturday, as the political crisis plaguing the state continues to rumble on. Six rebel Congress MLAs -- Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar Bhutto -- were disqualified on February 29 for defying a party whip to be present in the House and vote in favour of the Himachal Pradesh government during a cut motion and budget. The Election Commission has announced bypolls for their constituencies. Three Independent MLAs -- Ashish Sharma, Hoshiyar Singh and KL Thakur -- submitted their resignations on Friday. Bypolls are expected to be held for their seats as well. "We have submitted our resignations. We will join the BJP and contest the elections on its ticket," Singh had later told reporters. The Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was last month plunge

Congress to finalise Himachal LS list soon, options open for rebels: Kimta

The Congress leader further said, "We have implemented the Old Pension Scheme and provided an honorarium of 1500 rupees to the women

Analysing economic progress of states through budgets & advance estimates

Several states have come out with the Budgets for 2024-25 and hence advance estimates. Let us use them to analyse the economic performance or outlook of some of those states

SC refuses to stay HP Assembly Speaker order disqualifying rebel Cong MLAs

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the order of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker disqualifying six Congress rebels, who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls in the state. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta issued notice to the office of HP Assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania and sought its response to the plea in four weeks. The bench said that pending adjudication of their plea, rebel HP Congress MLAs will not be allowed to vote or participate in the proceedings of the Assembly. "On the question of by-election on six vacant seats, we will have to examine whether the elections which have been notified by the ECI are to be stayed during the pendency of plea," the bench said. It posted the matter for listing on May 6 and gave the rebel MLAs a week to file their rejoinder. The filing of nominations for six vacant assembly seats starts on May 7. The six rebels -- Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya S

EC launches special campaign in Himachal Pradesh to boost voter turnout

The Election Commission has launched a special campaign in Himachal Pradesh to maximise voter turnout in 414 polling stations which registered less than 60 per cent voting in the last Lok Sabha polls. Bypolls to six assembly seats that fell vacant after disqualification of Congress MLAs would be held simultaneously with four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh in the last phase on June 1. The main focus of the campaign -- "Mission 414" -- is increasing the vote percentage in 414 identified polling stations which registered less than 60 percent voting in the last Lok Sabha polls, Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh, Maneesh Garg told PTI on Monday. Awareness campaigns and cultural events would be held besides making these 414 stations model polling stations. Booth youth icons from first time voters would be roped in and special invitation cards made by children would be given to prospective voters, he said. Letters had been sent to the respective Deputy Commissioners in Febru

Lok Sabha elections: Key seats to watch in UP, Punjab, Raj, other states

The BJP won all four Himachal Pradesh Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, it is fighting a divided Congress. The seats include these. * Hamirpur: The BJP has fielded Union minister Anurag Thakur from Hamirpur, the Lok Sabha seat he has been winning since a 2008 bypoll. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and his deputy Mukesh Agnihotri also represent assembly segments in Hamirpur. Five of the six Congress MLAs who recently rebelled against the party were also elected from Hamirpur assembly segments. * Mandi: Members of the region's erstwhile families have tried their luck here. Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh currently represents the constituency which also sent her husband Virbhadra Singh to Parliament in the past.

Himachal Pradesh govt issues notification for granting pension to women

Facing criticism for not honouring a poll promise of giving Rs 1,500 per month to women in the age bracket of 18 to 59 years, the Himachal Pradesh government issued a notification on Thursday for granting pension under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana. On March 4, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that the state government will give Rs 1,500 per month to women and said a sum of Rs 800 crore would be spent on the initiative, benefitting more than five lakh women annually. According to the notification, income-tax payers, women monks permanently staying in monasteries, family members of employees, pensioners of central and state governments and employees of panchayati raj institutions, local bodies and public sector undertakings of the state and central governments will not get the amount. The other categories excluded from the pension are contractual employees, outsourced employees, daily wagers, part-time employees, ex-servicemen and their widows,

Why haven't you moved HP HC against disqualification: SC asks rebel MLAs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked six rebel Congress MLAs, who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh, as to why they have not moved the high court challenging their disqualification. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania had on February 29 disqualified the six MLAs on the Congress' plea for "defying" the party whip that required them to be present in the House and vote for the budget. Their plea challenging the Speaker's decision came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta and Prashant Kumar Mishra. The counsel representing the six petitioners requested the bench to adjourn the matter for either March 15 or March 18, saying senior advocate Harish Salve, who would appear for them, was not able to join the proceedings. "But tell us one thing, why didn't you go to the high court?" Justice Khanna asked. When the counsel said the petitioners have explained the reasons in the petition and they were electe

FIR filed against those using unfair means to destabilise govt: Himachal CM

The Chief Minister said that the Congress party has organised a torchlight protest against those who tried to destabilize the government

Disqualified MLAs moved like they are being shepherded: Himachal CM Sukhu

Firing a fresh salvo at the six disqualified Congress MLAs, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said they are being driven from one place to other like a shepherd herds a flock. Six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who voted against party nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections, along with three Independent lawmakers, have shifted to a hotel in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand amid an ongoing rebellion against Sukhu. Addressing a public meeting at in Mandi, Sukhu said the BJP is shepherding the six disqualified Congress MLAs, who betrayed the party, from one place to another, according to a statement. He also asked why the BJP kept the rebels MLAs in a hotel in Haryana's Panchkula before flying them to Dehradun in a chartered plane and lodging them in a seven-star hotel in Rishikesh. "These MLAs breached the trust of the people of their constituencies and the party by not listening to the call of conscience," he said. Sukhu added that the publi

11 Himachal MLAs move to U'khand, Union minister says Sukhu govt will fall

Six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who voted against party nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections, along with three Independent lawmakers, have shifted to a hotel in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand amid an ongoing rebellion against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Two BJP MLAs Vikram Thakur and Trilok Jamwal from Himachal Pradesh were accompanying the legislators, who arrived in Rishikesh from Haryana's Panchkula by a chartered flight late on Friday and checked into Hotel Taj. Congress MLAs Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhuttu, Ravindra Thakur and Chaitanya Sharma have since been disqualified for defying the party whip on the state budget. They have approached the Supreme Court for relief in the matter. Three Independent MLAs Hoshiar Singh, KL Thakur and Ashish Sharma were also with them when they arrived. The Congress currently has 34 MLAs in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly while the BJP has 25. The three Independent MLAs had als