Himachal Cong leaders spoiling party prospects,says Virbhadra

He quit the campaign committee,which he headed,and the panels on drafting manifesto and strategy.

Former Union minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday slammed the party leadership in Himachal Pradesh,saying a handful of the leaders who enjoyed patronage of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,were out to spoil the chances of Congress returning to power in the poll-bound state.

A day after the five-time chief minister resigned from the Congresss campaign committee for the state,Virbhadra admitted he wants to contest the Assembly polls but denied it was because of chief ministerial ambitions.

It is immaterial whether I become the chief minister or not. But my presence in the poll scene in Himachal,if I am given an opportunity to contest,will tremendously boost partys prospects, Virbhadra,who currently represents Mandi Lok Sabha seat,told The Indian Express.

Peeved over his exclusion from the AICC screening committee headed by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to select candidates for the elections,Virbhadra resigned from three other poll-related party panels on Thursday. He quit the campaign committee,which he headed,and the panels on drafting manifesto and strategy.

Admitting that there were certain serious poll-related issues on which he was holding talks with the party high command,Virbhadra said he was not happy the way the states jumbo-size election committees were filled up with defunct and rootless faces. But he clarified that he had no issues with Dikshit being made chairman of the screening panel.

The PCC in Himachal is totally non-functional. The main focus of the PCC leaders is to ensure that I should be marginalised. Are they fighting against me or the BJP? Their energy is being utilised against me and my supporters, Virbhadra said.

But the veteran leader,who has written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi expressing his views,dismissed media reports that he may quit Congress.

Wont relax Haj quota order,says SC

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The Supreme Court Friday made it clear to the Centre that its order on limiting Haj quota shall apply from the current year and no relaxation could be allowed. The court had on July 23 fixed the 2012 Haj quota at 300 seats against the governments proposed 5,050.

During the hearing primarily on the policy for private tour operators,a Bench of justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai said,Let me make it clear,so far as the governments quota is concerned,we think we are 100 per cent sure about the correctness of our order.