Ready to contest against CM from Rohru, says Dhumal

Hamirpur, May 11 (UNI) Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister P K Dhumal today accepted state Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's invitation to contest against him from Rohru assembly constituency.

Talking to reporters here, he said he was ready to take on the CM from Rohru, provided he was willing to put in his papers.

''I am ready to take on Mr Singh from there since I have peoples' support and respect from all over the state,'' he asserted.

Referring to the Chief Minister's statement at Una early today wherein he had called him a non-resident Himachali, he said everyone has a right to work anywhere in the country and he was there to earn his livelihood.

Mr Dhumal said as far as the NRI issue was concerned, it was relevant in the case of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He said while Ms Gandhi's petition on her nationality was still pending with the Supreme Court, Mr Singh had filed his nomination papers from Assam to contest the Rajya Sabha seat.

People were aware about the past of both the leaders and by raising such issues, the Chief Minister has also exposed his own leaders in the public, he said.

The BJP leader said Mr Singh is the only sitting chief minister to have lost an election to independent, Ram Lal, from Jubbal Kotkhai in 1990 elections.

Rising prices of essential commodities, widespread corruption, unemployment and deteriorating law and order situation would be main planks of the party in the Lok Sabha by-polls, he added.

UNI