Election to Himachal BJP chief’s post put off

Dhumal, Shanta Kumar meet in Chandigarh

Indian Express

Shimla, January 29: The crucial election to the state BJP president’s post slated for January 30 and 31 has been postponed.

The decision was taken late on Thursday evening after Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and party veteran and Rajya Sabha member Shanta Kumar held a meeting in Chandigarh. Party in-charge for Himachal Satya Pal Jain was also present.

Jain confirmed that the central returning officer had sent a communication informing him about the decision. The new dates for the election will be announced later. ...

...“The process of consultations has been on for quite some time. We discussed the matter today also,” said Jain. ...

Himachal BJP State Chief To Be Elected On January 31st

My Himachal

Shimla: State Unit of BJP would elect its new state president on January 31st as organization elections are being underway in the Himachal Pradesh.

State BJP in charge Satpal Jain told media persons on Saturday that former chief Minister of Utrakhand Bhagat Singh Koshiyri would be election in-charge, for which nomination would be filed by January 30th and 89 electorate college comprising of 75 elected delegates across the state, 10 MLAs and 4 MPs of the party are entitled to caste their vote for the state president.

He said that efforts are on to unanimously decide about the party president but if the consensus does not reach out, party would go for poll on January 31st and delegates would neutrally and democratically elect the new party state chief. ...

Jain defends Kashyap in CD case

The Tribune

Shimla, January 23: In charge of the BJP affairs in the state Satya Pal Jain today defended MP Virender Kashyap in the video CD case and the manner in which he did it, made it obvious that the party leadership was not going to take any cognisance of the issue.

“There is a world of difference in the cases of Bangaru Lakshman, Suresh Chandel (both of whom were caught in camera accepting bribe) and Kashyap. While Chandel was an MP, action was taken against Laxman as the persons who committed the sting operation came forward and owned it. In contrast, the video CD was allegedly shot on April 17, 2009 and Kashyap had not even filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha poll till then, he told mediapersons at a press conference here today. ...

...He saw the Congress hand behind the triple CD conspiracy and said Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh, who took no action in the matter as Chief Minister, had been trying to weaken the case against him all through. A former Congress minister Vijay Singh Mankotia released the CD on May 28,2007, but the Virbhadra Singh regime took no action on it till December 30,2007, when he lost power. In fact, a Congress party office-bearer approached the high court with a plea that BJP leaders be refrained from playing it.

He said it appeared to be another attempt to influence investigations into the case as copies of these CDs had not only been sent to the Governor and the Chief Justice of the high court but also to the judge handling the case.

Jain made it clear that a CID inquiry had been ordered into the two audio CDs and further action in the matter would be taken only after it was completed. Those behind the CD conspiracy would be exposed and brought to book. However, Congress leaders were demanding that a case be registered on the basis of unclaimed and unauthenticated CDs.

He said it was strange that Virbhadra Singh had chosen to make the state police officer who recommended that a case be registered against him as his private secretary on becoming the Union minister. Not only that he had also served a legal notice to file defamation case against the DGP, vigilance, which in effect amounted to a threat.

सीडी प्रकरण जांच को प्रभावित करने की साजिश: जैन

दैनिक ट्रिब्यून       

Cong game to stall Virbhadra probe: Jain

Times of India

वीरभद्र ने बनाया जांच अधिकारी को अपना पीएस

पहली ख़बर       

सीडी के पीछे कांग्रेस नेताओं का हाथ

दिव्य हिमाचल   

CDs handiwork of congress to hinder investigations against Virbhadra – Himachal BJP Incharge

MyHimachal

Shimla: Boxed in over the murky affairs of 3 CDs having surfaced recently, BJP today hit back terming it as a handiwork of congress party with the objective to hinder investigations into corruption issues that have been forth by the probe into another CD involving union minister Virbhadra Singh.

Speaking to the media, Satyapal Jain – BJP incharge for Himachal held, “the CDs have been released in order to divert public attention from the finality a probe into an audio CD involving union minister and former chief minister Virbhadra has come to.”

Every effort has been made to stall investigations into the Virbhadra tapes, he said counting, ‘firstly, no investigation was launched by the earlier congress government headed by him, despite a case being registered.

Second, after becoming union minister Virbhadra Singh picked up the investigating officer as his private secretary and thirdly the DGP vigilance, under whose direction the probe is being conducted, was threatened with a defamation case, said Jain.

The CDs were couriered to select people, which involved a sitting judge of the High Court who is hearing the audio CD case of Virbhadra Singh, clearly points that efforts were made to stall the case, he added. ...

...Terming the two audio compact discs released recently as “tutored, doctored” he said that “the party was open to a CBI probe into the matter”, and added, “The state government has immediately ordered a CID probe and the people behind the release of the CDs and its creditability would soon be exposed.”

Jain said that after hearing the contents of the CDs patiently, its is obvious that there is no conversation taking place but words spoken by the chief minister at different occasions had been put together to create a fabricated, tutored and doctored audio CD. ...

BJP may elect new party chief by Jan-end

The Tribune - Himachal

Shimla, January 13: With organisational elections in all districts, barring Lahaul-Spiti, over, the ruling BJP is likely to elect its state party chief by the end of this month with emphasis being on evolving consensus and avoiding any kind of confrontation...

Though no date has been finalised for the election, tentatively it could be either around January 23-24 or around January 28-29. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Bhagat Singh Koshiari will be the Central Observer for the election. ...

...“As has been the case in the district party chief elections, efforts will be to arrive at consensus in case of state president, which I am confident we will be able to achieve,” said Satya Pal Jain, in charge of BJP affairs in Himachal. He added that the election of the state party chief would be held by end of January in a very smooth and democratic fashion. ...