Date:16/03/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/03/16/stories/2004031607540500.htm

Other States - Arunachal Pradesh

Congress takes back rebels

By Our Staff Correspondent

SHIMLA, MARCH.15. Keeping the coming Lok Sabha elections in mind the Congress High Command has given associate membership to four independent MLAs. While reading out the official letter sent by the Congress in charge of the State, Ashok Gehlot, the PCC spokesman, Kuldip Rathore, said the inclusion of these MLAs would broaden the mass base of the party and the party would register a thumping victory in the ensuing general elections.

The four independent MLAs who were given permission by the AICC are Sohan Lal from Kusumpatti in Shimla, Biru Ram from Gherwin in Bilaspur, Kuldip Singh Pathania from Bhattiyat in Chamba and Subhash Chand from Chopal in Shimla. The name of another Virbhadra Singh confident Rakesh Verma from Theog has not been given the permission, according to the PCC office. Mr. Verma who had earlier fought from BJP had defeated the PCC president, Vidya Stokes, from this constituency. This time he had fought as an independent and had won against the official Congress nominee.

The party has also taken some other rebels and prominent among them are a former MLA Prakash Chowdhry who has recently quit the Himachal Vikas Congress of Mr. Sukh Ram, Mahant Ram Chowdhry, Karnesh Jung, Mahendra Pal, Yograj and Sanjay Rattan.

It has been claimed by the PCC here that the high command has consulted both the State Congress president and the Chief Minister while taking this decision. But some party sources say the party president had put her foot down on all the proposed names given by the Chief Minister's faction and that is why the list was too short. A number of these names were of the candidates who had fought elections against the official party candidates in last year's Vidhan Sabha elections.