Stage set for Virbhadra's felicitation on his b'day tomorrow

The Himachal Congress patriarch, who entered the Lok Sabha for the first time 1962, would be honoured by prominent leaders and also representatives from all the districts at a grand function to be held at Shimla's ice skating rink.

A committee headed by former MP and senior Congress leader Chander Kumar is leaving no stone unturned to send the message that Singh was the "tallest" leader of the party with "mass base" and no other leader could match it.

The Samaroh Samiti has invited all MLAs and MPs from the state, AICC, PCC and CWC members and about 20,000 cards have been distributed within the state also, Harish Janarta, a prominent member of the Committee said.

The district police have made elaborate arrangements for parking of vehicles and earmarked specific places.

The traffic and parking plan has already been given to the organisers, said a senior police officer.

The programme would start with arrival of Virbhadra singh at the skating rink at 12 noon as representatives of districts and other senior party leaders like HPCC president Kaul Singh Thakur and Leader of the opposition Vidya Stokes would felicitate him and also make brief speeches.

The organisers are claiming it to be a non-political event and expecting a gathering of about 25,000 people.

Singh, a five-time MP, seven-time MLA, three-time Union Minister and five-time chief minister has been touring the state for some time and has held meetings with workers at many places during the past fortnight and also launched a frontal attack on the BJP government in the state.

Political observers say it was in fact a show of strength by Singh and his supporters to send a message that he still wields considerable influence on the masses and sidelining him in the ensuing assembly polls could cost the party a dear.