LJP to win 10 seats in HP, claims Paswan

Nahan, Dec 8 (UNI) Union Minister for Steel and Fertiliser Ram Vilas Paswan today claimed that his Lok Janshakti Party will win at least ten seats in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections where second phase of polling was to be held on December 19.

''The party has fielded candidates in about 50 constituencies of the state and hopes to win about 10 seats after successfully contesting elections on a single seat from Nahan assembly constituency in the last elections,'' he said while addressing a rally here.

Mr Paswan said his party's candidate Sadanand Chauhan was the only legislator in the entire state to come out with a booklet, mentioning his developmental works during the last four and half years.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP for its ''politics of opportunism'', he said the party, which came to power in the centre on the issue of Ram Mandir, never cared to build one during the NDA Government's tenure.

''The BJP is once again raking up the Ram Mandir and Ram Setu issues sensing Lok Sabha polls round the corner,'' he claimed.

He expressed surprise over state Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's reported ignorance over the setting up of Rs 250 crore steel plant in Nahan area, saying he had himself informed him about the SAIL's proposal.

Accusing the state Congress Government of failing to provide land for the plant, he said this had forced the ministry to buy private land at high rates.

Mr Paswan said the plant's foundation stone ceremony, scheduled for November, had to be postponed due to the announcement of election schedule by the Election Commission.

A similar plant would also be set up in the neighbouring state of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

The Minister, who had earlier set up a world record by winning the Lok Sabha elections by the highest margin of 5.5 lakh votes, appealed to the electorate to vote for the party in these assembly elections.

UNI