Virbhadra hopeful of BJP’s cooperation in House

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 29

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who arrived at Dharamsala today evening for the winter session of Himachal Assembly beginning tomorrow, expressed the hope that the opposition BJP would cooperate with the government and would allow to the House to function smoothly.

Interestingly, the CM, who had attacked the BJP, especially the former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and his sons Anurag Thakur and Arun Dhumal just a week ago, chose to keep quiet over the media queries regarding statements of BJP leaders that they would take up the issue of corruption charges against him in the House.

When asked to react to the statements of BJP leaders against him and rally opposition planned against him on December 2, the Chief Minister said the CBI or ED has just registered a case against him but charges against him have not been proved. “I am just an accused and not a convict,” he said.

The mellowed response of the Chief Minister to the allegations of the BJP leaders was being attributed to his recent meeting with Prem Kumar Dhumal. After the meeting of both the leaders the speculation was rife that both the leaders might have buried their hatchet.

The Chief Minister was given a rousing reception on reaching Dharamsala, a day before the beginning of five-day Vidhan Sabha session to start from tomorrow.

Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma, MLA Yadvendar Goma, Vice-Chairman, Other Backward Classes Finance and development Corporation Chander Kumar, Vice-Chairman of State Forest Corporation Kewal Singh Pathania and others received the Chief Minister after he landed at the police ground stadium this afternoon.

On being asked about the strategy of the ruling party in view of the Opposition planning to corner the ruling party over the issue of corruption, the Chief Minister said both the ruling and opposition will discuss the development matters and said that he hopes that the session would go well. He said the Opposition would cooperate in running the House smoothly and hoped that various issues of development would be discussed in better interest of the people of the state.

While most of the members of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) arrived here by the evening, members of Opposition BJP are likely to arrive by tomorrow morning.

The Congress Legislative Party would hold a meeting today late in the evening to frame its strategy for the forthcoming winter session. The meeting of BJP legislative members is scheduled for tomorrow morning.