BJP responsible for by-elections, alleges Congress

Hamirpur, Apr 29 (UNI) The Congress today blamed the BJP for thrusting third parliamentary by-polls in five years on the people of Hamirpur parliamentary constituency of the state, saying this was a huge waste of finances at a time when prices of essential commodities were rising sharply.

Talking to reporters here, party spokesman Deepak Sharma said this was the third parliamentary elections that have been thrust upon the people of this constituency after their former MP Suresh Chandel was made to resign after ''cash for query'' scam in 2006 and Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal resigned within months after being elected to the parliament after he was made the state Chief Minister.

In view of the rising prices of essential commodities, an election would incur large sum of money, which could have been spent on the development of the area, he added.

Expressing optimism that the party would emerge victorious in the by-polls, he said the people of the state had seen the real face of the BJP and would vote against it.

Mr Sharma said party's candidate from the constituency O P Rattan would file his papers on May third followed by a rally, which would be addressed by party incharge and senior party leader R K Dhawan, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Vidya Stokes and state party president Viplove Thakur.

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