Arch-rivals Dhumal, Virbhadra get cosy

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 25

Normally seen engaged in bitter verbal duels and taking on each other fiercely, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal today took the political circles by surprise with their new-found bonhomie.

Dhumal called on Virbhadra at Oakover, the official residence of the Chief Minister, and held an hour-long meeting with him. Even though the meeting was officially termed as a routine one preceding the winter session to ensure smooth conduct of the Assembly at Dharamsala, few are willing to buy the argument. The sudden getting together of both the leaders, who are staunch opponents of each other, has left the Congress and BJP guessing.

It is learnt that besides Chief Minister’s son Vikramaditya Singh and his private secretary Subhash Ahluwalia, no other minister or MLA was present at Oakover when Dhumal called in. After the meeting, the pictures of the two sharing a warm “handshake” were released to the media, fuelling speculation.

State BJP president Satpal Singh Satti, party’s chief whip Suresh Bhardwaj and other senior leaders said that they had no prior knowledge of any meeting between the two leaders.