HP BJP chief predicts early assembly polls

Nahan, Jan 15 (UNI) The newly elected president of the Himachal Pradesh BJP, Jai Ram Thakur, today predicted early assembly elections in the state, saying Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's announcement for new developmental projects was indicative of that.

Addressing party workers here, he said the way foundation stones were being laid, schools upgraded and funds for other development programmes released was indicative of the Chief Minister's plan to call for early elections.

Referring to the suspended ADGP B S Thind, Mr Thakur said the government, which claimed to be efficient and a transparent was sheltering a person accused of several criminal cases in Punjab and Chandigarh.

He said the state government that was prepared to promote Mr Thind as state DGP, had failed in providing job to a member of a every family as promised in its manifesto.

Expressing optimism that the party would be returned to power in the next assembly elections, he said the people of the state would inflict a crushing defeat on the Congress, which had failed on all fronts.

Reacting to Mr Singh's statement that his election was the result of internal bickering in the party, he said the chief minister instead of commenting on the internal affairs of another party would do well to devote his attention to his own party, which was in disarray.

UNI