Party to decide my future, says Shanta

Shimla, May 19 (UNI) Refusing to comment on his re-entry into the Himachal Pradesh politics, former union minister and Chief Minister Shanta Kumar today said it was for the BJP high command to decide his future role.

Talking to mediapersons here, he said he had always abided by the decision of the party high command and had performed whatever duties were assigned to him.

Mr Kumar said no leader in the BJP was in run for any post in Himachal Pradesh and whatever was decided by the party high command would be obeyed in letter and spirit.

''One thing is clear that the BJP would win the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Hamirpur Lok Sabha by-elections and state assembly election due next year as a wave for change was sweeping the state,'' he said.

He said people have voted for change in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and other places and the same trend would also be visible in the state too.

Mr Kumar, who was here to campaign for Shimla Municipal Corporation, said he would canvass for Hamirpur Lok Sabha by-elections from Nadaun tomorrow.

He said the BJP would win the Hamirpur Lok Sabha parliamentary seat with a record margin as it had won half the battle by fielding its strongest candidate former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

''The Congress, which was confident that it will win the elections with neither me nor Mr Dhumal contesting the elections, is in a state of shock. Its calculations have gone haywire with the former Chief Minister being the party's candidate for the by-polls.'' Replying to a question why Mr Dhumal was chosen to contest the Lok Sabha by-polls, he said ''Winning the election was the first priority and he is undoubtedly the strongest party candidate''.

Answering another question on reported remarks by party vice president Sahib Singh Verma that contesting Parliament election did not mean Mr Dhumal was out of the state politics, he said there was no contradiction in the statement as it meant that the role of any leader would be decided by the party high command.

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