Himachal people fed up with Cong and BJP, says

Shimla, Aug 7 (UNI) Launching a scathing attack on both the BJP and the Congress, BSP state convenor Vijai Singh Mankotia today said the people of the state were fed up with them and were looking for a change.

Talking to reporters here, he said the next change in the state would be for its betterment as the BSP's social engineering concept was attracting people from all sections of the society.

Mr Mankotia, BSP's projected chief ministerial candidate, said that the countdown for the Virbhadra Singh Government had begun with the assembly elections just six months away.

The Congress High Command had become ''politically impotent'' in tackling corruption across many states and this was true of Himachal too, he said.

Referring to the Delhi land scam, he said there was not one Ashok Mahlotra but many such in Himachal.

Without naming former state tourism and transport minister G S Bali, he said they were being exposed by the media.

Rampant corruption with a tainted Chief Minister would be one of the main election issues, he said.

Referriing to the party's successful Kangra rally, which was addressed by party supermo Mayawati, Mr Mankotia said the candidates would be put up in all assembly segments and up to 60 per cent of the tickets could be given to young candidates.

Accusing the Congress Government of failing to give development a thrust in the state, he said the conditions of road even in Shimla district were deplorable.

''Mr Singh does not know about the road conditions in the state for he only travels by a helicopter and has run up a Rs 15 crore bill on account of it over the last four years,'' he said.

Continuing with its tirade against the Chief Minister, he said that by holding onto 22 portfolios, he had strangled democracy in the state and had created a republic within a republic with corrupt officers like BS Thind ruling the roost.

He claimed that the rotational system of power between the BJP and the Congress in the state would be broken and replication of the UP experiment would bear results.

Man Singh Manhera, party incharge for Himachal, said that a drive for appointing office bearers was on and the target was to appoint 25,000 people before the elections.

Earlier, the BSP took out an introductory march through the Lower Bazar area of the city with Mr Mankotia addressing a gathering at two places in the town.

UNI