March 27, 2009 1:39:33 am
Faced with a crisis in Hamirpur after the decision to nominate former cricketer Madan Lal,the Congress road to victory is likely to become more arduous in the coming days with Narinder Thakur getting offers to contest the election to give a decisive fight to the BJP and Congress together.
Finding that his popularity had suddenly gone up after the Congress denied him a ticket despite the PCC chiefs backing,the first offer to reach Thakur was from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP),which still has not named its candidate for Hamirpur.
BSP sources late this evening confirmed that Narinder Thakur was one of the probables to give the BJP and Congress a serious fight.
But Thakurs response so far has been cool and he has not revealed his cards.
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I have made it clear to everyone that I joined the Congress to fight the BJP misrule and take the Dhumal family head-on. I am not going to quit the Congress simply because I have been refused a ticket, he told The Indian Express.
Thakur said he had no regrets being denied a ticket despite having been given an assurance to the effect.
He admitted,Its true that the pressure has grown from my supporters to contest the election. Several political parties,a few of them having national presence,have also sent their offers. I have no plans to contest. If the Congress sticks to its decision,I hope it will do justice to me.
Meanwhile,former chief minister Virbhadra Singh has also asked the high command to review its decision on Madan Lals candidature since he does not have local support as compared to Narinder Thakur. The former chief minister proposes to visit Delhi next week and meet central leaders to apprise them of the advantages that the party will have by fielding Narinder Thakur.
Those backing Madan Lal also intensified their counter-efforts today.
Its strange how a few partymen have chosen to oppose the choice of the high command to support a person who has barely been in the Congress for six months. Madan Lal is very much a native of Hamirpur and comes from a family with Congress ideology, said a senior Congress leader instrumental in Madan Lals candidature.
Ruling out any change,he said,Madan Lal has already started campaigning and will be in Hamirpur on March 28.
Congress leaders favouring Madan Lal also claim that the party had chosen him to field a Brahmin. His background as an international cricketer will also be a bonus for the party to fight Anurag Thakur.
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