Police-alert in Baijnath

The SSP said that adequate police have been deployed at Utrala, Beer Deaol, Chobin and Patahr to prevent any untoward incident and added that five mobile police parties would keep a vigil on the polling process. Each party would be headed by an DSP.

Three sector magistrates and ten sector officers would supervise the polling process and maintain law and order in the constituency, Sadyal said. The district administration has deputed 350 personnel on poll duty and they have been moved to their respective centres.

Meanwhile, the district administration appealed to the voters’ to exercise their franchise without any fear. Counting for the Baijnath seat will take place on November 28.

Mahajan confident: Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Sat Mahajan today said the Congress was confident of its victory in Baijnath Assembly constituency and said that faction.

In a statement issued here, he said the dramatic entry of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at the fag-end of electioneering in Baijnath was a direct indication of the power struggle within BJP leaders in the state.

He said the unity card of BJP leaders in the constituency would not work as the people were well aware of the factionalism prevailing in the BJP. He said the rift between Shanta Kumar and Dhumal was apparent in the Baijanth election.

The state Congress chief said that Dhumal could not play the regionalism card in this election as both the BJP stalwarts belong to the lower areas. Mahajan said the Congress candidate, Sudhir Sharma, would take away a sizable chunk of the vote-bank because of his fresh image and his father’s persona.

The presence of Kuldip Rana and Lokinder Thakur in the campaigning had consolidated the traditional Rajput vote-bank in favour of the Congress, he added.