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Journalism of Courage
Himachal Vikas Congress chief Sukh Ram today said he would support certain Congress and BJP candidates during the forthcoming Assembly elections in the hill state.
Speaking to the The Indian Express, Sukh Ram said: ‘‘ We have a very good relationship with Vidya Stokes, the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president, and senior Congress leader Sat Mahajan. We have always remained good friends.’’
While HVC is fighting elections on 51 Assembly seats, it will support the Congress on about half-dozen seats, party sources said.
Sukh Ram said he would support some Congress candidates from Kullu Assembly constituency, Nadaunta in Hamirpur and some candidates from Kangra but refused to give their names. From Banjar, he said, he would support a BJP candidate. He, however, did not specify any reason behind this support. Earlier, speaking at a conference at the Press Club, Chandigarh, he said while it was the HVC supporting the BJP, outside the party circle in the past five years, Dhumal had another friend in Virbhadra Singh. ‘‘Virbhadra had promised him 11 MLAs in case HVC withdrew its support,’’ he claimed. He said people should get ready for some unexpected results. ‘‘Some startling results will be seen,’’ he said.
‘‘The Chief Minister recommended dissolution of the Assembly to prevent me from contesting Assembly elections,’’ he said.
He also held that Virbhadra Singh was indirectly responsible for having kept the Congress out of power for the past five years. The alliance between HVC and Congress did not take place due to him. And now, Virbhadra wants to cut some of the leaders to size through Independent candidates, Sukh Ram claimed.
