Political activity remained at its peak in Rohru Assembly constituency on Wednesday as five candidates,including Khushi Ram Balnatah of the Bharatiya Janata Party,filed their nomination papers for the byelection to be held on November 7. With this,the number of contestants in the fray from Rohru has gone up to seven,including Manjeet Singh of Congress and BJP dissident Veena Shukla who is contesting as an Independent candidate. Two more Independent candidates belonging to the Schedule Caste category filed their nominations on Wednesday. From the next Vidhan Sabha election,the seat will be reserved for SC candidates. The constituency witnessed a show of strength by the BJP as Balnatah filed his papers. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,cabinet ministers Jai Ram Thakur,Narendra Bragta and Rajeev Bindal,BJP president Khimi Ram,Himachal affairs in-charge Satya Pal Jain,legislators Hari Narayan Saini and Tejwant Negi and former speaker Radha Raman Shastri were present to lend support to Balnatah. Addressing the gathering later,Dhumal refrained from commenting on the Congress and concentrated on developmental issues only. The partys efforts to attract crowds for the show of strength was evident as care was taken to invite people from as far as Chohara in Chirgaon area,which is considered to be a Congress stronghold. With the Congress not being been able to put up a strong show so far in Rohru,ever since the announcement of ticket,and its senior leaders conspicuous by their absence,the BJP is terming it as moral victory for the party. This is the fifth time that Balnatah is in the fray for Vidhan Sabha election from Rohru. He has always been defeated by former chief minister and Union Minister for Steel Virbhadra Singh. This time,he is not pitted against Virbhadra or any of his family members,but Manjeet Singh of the Congress,a popular grassroot-level leader. i hereby declare Khushi Ram Balnatah (BJP) Constituency: Rohru Cash: Rs.19,477 ( Rs 5,000 with wife) Deposits: Rs 1,94,772; wife: Rs 65,000 Vehicle: A Maruti car Other financial instruments: Rs 20,000 Agriculture land: 45 bighas in Summerkot worth Rs 50 lakh and 4 bighas in Rohru house: Rs 20 lakh Manjeet Singh (Congress) Constituency: Rohru Cash: Rs 80,000; wife: Rs 50,000; two dependents: Rs 25,000 Deposits: Rs 2,38,179 in three bank accounts; wife: Rs 27,000; dependents: Rs 61,000 Other financial instruments: Rs 2 lakh in LIC; wife: Rs 1.5 lakh; dependents: Rs 2 lakh Vehicles: Maruti Zen,a motorbike Jewellery: 10 g gold worth Rs 15,000; wife: 50 g gold worth Rs 75,000; dependents: 10 g gold worth Rs 15,000 Land: Rs 9 lakh in Saiji,Munchara,Dagi,Samoli,Larot and Rohru (land worth 1,12,000 with dependent) house: A Rs 15-lakh house in Rohru,Rs 2-lakh house in Samoli and Rs 10-lakh house in Kotsari
