First-time MLA and Congress treasurer close to Himachal CM Sukhu raided by ED
Hospitals ‘promoted’ by R S Bali, who enjoys Cabinet-rank posts, and Rajesh Sharma among properties raided in 19 locations
Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. (File Photo) THE TWO Himachal Pradesh leaders who find themselves in the crosshairs of the Enforcement Directorate over allegedly fake Ayushman Bharat ID cards are seen as close to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
While Nagrota Bagwan MLA Raghubir Singh Bali or R S Bali is the son of former Himachal minister G S Bali and holds Cabinet-rank posts in the Sukhu government, Rajesh Sharma is the treasurer of the state Congress.
As per a PTI report, the ED Wednesday raided about 19 locations in Shimla, Kangra, Una, Mandi and Kullu districts of the state, apart from those in Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab, as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged Ayushman Bharat scheme fraud.
The Fortis Hospital in Kangra “promoted” by Bali’s company Himachal Healthcare Pvt Ltd and the Balaji Hospital in Kangra “promoted” by Sharma were among the properties raided.
R S Bali made his debut in electoral politics with the 2022 Assembly polls, winning the Nagrota Bagwan seat that was once the bastion of his late father, who had represented the constituency four times. His assets placed him among the top three richest Congress candidates in the elections.
Proximity with Sukhu is believed to have got R S Bali the position of Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and Vice-Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board, posts with Cabinet-rank status.
A senior Congress leader said that unlike R S Bali, his father was never seen as part of any camp. “The late G S Bali was the kind of leader who was his own person. He had many differences with then senior Congress leader and six-time Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh.”
Soon after the raids, R S Bali wrote on Facebook: “… on July 29, I went out for two days with my family during my son Riyan’s vacation, and I just learned that some officials came to my residence, Mazdoor Kutiyya. I am returning with my family. We respect the investigation agencies and will fully cooperate with them. I request my Nagrota Bagwan family and everyone connected with us in the state not to worry. When you live a political life, you sometimes have to face such situations.”
Incidentally, before the Lok Sabha elections, R S Bali’s name was floated as a possible candidate from the Kangra parliamentary constituency. He wrote to the high command urging them to first seek the opinion of the people of his constituency. Finally, the idea was dropped and former Union minister Anand Sharma was fielded by the Congress from Kangra, and lost.
Rajesh Sharma, who unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Assembly elections from Dehra, incidentally had a falling out recently with Sukhu when he accused the CM of confining him at his residence in Shimla to ensure that he could not file his nomination for a bypoll for the seat, which was contested and won by Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur.
However, Sharma was later persuaded to back Thakur, and was by her side when she filed her nomination. He was also an active campaigner for her, with Thakur brushing away questions about his “displeasure” over the ticket to her by referring to him as her “brother”.
Along with Dehra, the Congress had won Nalagarh seat in the bypolls, thus closing the door conclusively on the BJP’s efforts to topple the Sukhu government.
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