Dhumal hits back at CM over retrenchment of daily wagers

Hamirpur, December 4 (UNI) Hitting back at Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's allegations over the retrenchment of 35,000 daily wagers during the BJP's tenure in 1990, former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said he was misleading the people of the state.

''The truth was that the BJP had actually initiated the process of regularising these people during the Shanta Kumar Government's tenure,'' Mr Dhumal told reporters here.

The Chief Minister had used this plank twice in 1998 and 2003 to mislead the people of the state, he claimed.

Mr Dhumal claimed that there was an undercurrent in favour of the party, which was expected to sweep the elections following ''all round failure'' of the Congress Government to perform during the last four-and-a-half years.

Denying that there was dissidence within the party over the allotment of tickets, he said the party was in talks with a few of the rebel candidates to withdraw their candidature, while expelling nine of them yesterday.

He said the party would release its manifesto on Thursday in Shimla which would be made the official document of the government if it came to power.

UNI