BSP to contest all Assembly seats in Himachal

Shimla, June 22 ((UNI) The Bahujan Samaj Party today announced its decision to contest all the 68 Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh in the coming Assembly elections, hoping to repeat its Uttar Pradesh performance here.

''The BSP will field candidates on all the 68 seats in the Assembly election in Himachal due in February next year,'' party general secretary and in-charge of Punjab, Haryana and HP, Man Singh Manhera said at a press conference here.

He said in addition to fielding Scheduled Caste candidates on 16 reserved seats and Scheduled Tribe candidates on three other, it would provide tickets to nominees of other castes in rest of the constituencies.

Party President and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati would also be visiting the state in the September to galvanise the party, he said.

Mr Manhera said the party president has appointed Balwant Singh part president in HP.

Accusing the both Congress and the BJP for failing to live up to the expectations of the people of the state, he said and only BSP could provide ''a viable alternative government'' in the state.

He also invited suspended Congress Party leader Vijai Singh Mankotia to join the BSP, while demanding a CBI probe in the CD episode.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh should resign on moral grounds following the release of the audio CD, he said.

The BSP leader said the state had been divided into three zones and by September 25,000 state office bearers would be appointed.

Senior Congressman and former Human Right Commission member ID Bali today announced his decision to join the BSP after resigning from the primary membership of the Congress, saying it was being run by certain families for their own interests now.

UNI