Dhumal to campaign in MP

SHIMLA, Nov 16: Though the Congress has intensified its poll campaign in Baijnath making a determined bid to retain the seat, Chief Minister...

SHIMLA, Nov 16: Though the Congress has intensified its poll campaign in Baijnath making a determined bid to retain the seat, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal proposes to spend a week in Madhya Pradesh for party’s campaign there.

Dhumal is leaving for Bhopal tomorrow, where he would join BJP’s campaign. Former chief minister Shanta Kumar has also been tipped by the party high command to campaign in Rajasthan. The two top BJP leaders will not be able to spend more than four days at Baijnath from Saturday next.

Observers feel that the Congress had been taking the Baijnath polls quite seriously to thwart the BJP bid to capture the seat, a traditional Congress stronghold. Former chief minister Virbhadra Singh had already reached the area and would spend at least a week to address poll meetings even up to the booth level.

PCC president Sat Mahajan and his team of general secretaries, beside other former ministers and senior Congress members were at Baijnath. Mahajan today faxed a fresh complaint to the election commission alleging misuse of the government machinery and seeking deployment of CRPF battalions at all sensitive polling booths. He alleged that the BJP would make every effort to rig the polls and planning was already underway with the help of the police and local administration. There had been increased interference of the government in poll arrangements and officers were being pressurised to function on BJP plans, he alleged.