Page 18 - Himachal Pradesh

BJP insulting nation builders, trying to disprove history: Congress

Congress candidate from Himachal Pradesh's Kangra Lok Sabha seat Anand Sharma on Monday accused the BJP of trying to disprove history and insulting the nation builders as he asserted that Manmohan Singh left a strong India and a stout economy in 2014. At an election rally in Churah of Chamba district, he also lashed at the BJP-led Centre for its "step brotherly treatment" towards the hill state during last year's monsoon disaster. All states are given relief package by the Centre from the National Disaster Relief Fund in the wake of a calamity but Himachal Pradesh was deprived of it as the people voted for the Congress in the assembly polls, Sharma claimed. "The BJP is extolling the 10 years the Narendra Modi government as 'Amrit Kaal' but it was 10 years of 'anyay' (injustice), the senior Congress leader said as he called upon people to vote for his party "to bring back the era of justice". Addressing the rally, he said, "Independent India's journey did not commence in May 2014 as

IMD issues heatwave warning for several districts across Himachal Pradesh

The IMD said that the average maximum temperatures in the state are likely to increase by 2 to 3 degrees and to remain appreciably above normal during the period

LS polls 2024: 37 candidates to contest four seats in Himachal Pradesh

Thirty-seven candidates will battle it out for Himachal Pradesh's four Lok Sabha seats while 25 are in the fray for the assembly bypolls in six seats. Friday was the last day to withdraw nominations. Polling for the four Lok Sabha seats and the bypolls to the six assembly constituencies will be held on June 1. The BJP, Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have fielded candidates from all four Lok Sabha seats but the main contest is between the ruling and the opposition parties. Ten candidates are in the fray in Mandi, where actor Kangana Ranaut is taking on Vikramaditya Singh. Singh's mother Pratibha Singh is the outgoing MP from the seat. In Kangra, which is also being contested by 10 candidates, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma is taking on the BJP's Rajiv Bharadwaj. The Congress has fielded Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri against incumbent MP Suresh Kashyap of the BJP in Shimla, where five candidates are in the fray. In Hamirpur, Union Minister

Lok Sabha elections: Kangana Ranaut's holdings show immovable asset skew

Real estate accounts for nearly 70% of wealth

LS polls: PM Modi, Shah among 40 star campaigners for BJP in Himachal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president J P Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be the star campaigners for the BJP for the June 1 Lok Sabha election and Assembly bypolls in Himachal Pradesh. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its list of 40 star campaigners on Tuesday. The list also includes the names of Union ministers Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Hardeep Singh Puri, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Union minister and BJP candidate from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat Anurag Thakur has also been named as a star campaigner, along with the saffron party's nominee from Mandi ..

Anand Sharma will definitely be minister in INDIA govt, says CM Sukhu

Former Union minister Anand Sharma will "definitely" be a minister in an INDIA bloc government at the Centre, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Sunday. Sharma, who served as the Union minister for commerce and industry between 2009 and 2014, is the Congress candidate from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat. Campaigning for Sharma in the Jwalamukhi assembly segment, Sukhu highlighted the former Union minister's contributions to the state during his previous stint in the central government. "Kangra needs an MP whose voice is heard across the country. Anand Sharma has been fielded from Kangra as he is a tall leader and contributed a lot to Himachal as Union minister," Sukhu said. The National Institute of Fashion Technology in Kangra, spice park in Nadaun, regional passport office in Shimla, expansion of industrial areas in the state, and the Shimla-Matour four-lane highway are results of his vision. If Sharma wins, his berth in an INDIA bloc government is certain,

6 MLAs withdraw plea from SC against disqualification from HP Assembly

Six former Congress MLAs on Friday withdrew their plea from the Supreme Court against the Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker's decision to disqualify them from the House. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta was told by senior advocate Abhinav Mukherjee, appearing for the former MLAs, that they want to withdraw the petition. "We knew this was going to happen due to the elections," the bench observed while allowing them to withdraw their plea. The six former MLAs are now contesting assembly bypolls, which were necessitated after their disqualification, as BJP candidates. On March 18, the top court had refused to stay the Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker's order disqualifying the former MLAs who had cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls in the state. The six former Congress MLAs -- Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar Bhutto -- were disqualified on February 29, for defying a Congress whip to be present in

HPBOSE 2024 10th result OUT: Result declared with pass percentage of 74.61

The HPBOSE has announced the Class 10 results at jagranjosh.com/results and hpbose.org. This year, Ridhima Sharma has topped with a score of 99.86% and the overall pass percentage is 74.61%

India's first multi-purpose green hydrogen pilot project inaugurated

India's first multi-purpose green hydrogen pilot project at 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) in Himachal's Jhakri was inaugurated on Wednesday, according to Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) officials. SJVN Chairman and Managing Director Geeta Kapur inaugurated a 20Nm3/hr electrolyzer and 25kW fuel cell capacity-based green hydrogen pilot project, a statement issued here said. The project is the nation's first multi-purpose (combined heat and power) green hydrogen generation plant with the capability to cater to the high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) coating facility of NJHPS to meet its combustion fuel requirements, in addition to generating electricity through its 25kW capacity fuel cell. It will produce hydrogen gas by splitting hydrogen and oxygen from water with the help of an alkaline electrolyzer of 20Nm3/hr capacity by utilising renewable energy supplied from the 1.31 MW solar power plant of SJVN located in Wadhal, Himachal Pradesh. The pilot project is set to

Himachal BJP leader Ranjit Singh, close aide of ex CM Dhumal joins Congress

Himachal Pradesh BJP leader Ranjit Singh, a close aide of former chief minister and senior party leader Prem Kumar Dhumal, joined the Congress on Wednesday, leaders of the ruling party in the state said here. Singh joined the Congress in New Delhi in the presence of the party's in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla, they said. Ranjit Singh had contested the 2022 Himachal Assembly polls from Sujanpur on a BJP ticket but lost to Rajinder Rana, the then Congress candidate from the seat. Rana is one of the six Congress rebels who had voted in favour of the BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections held on February 27 and was later disqualified from the Assembly. All six then joined the BJP and were fielded from their respective constituencies for bypolls to the seats. After Rana joined the BJP, Dhumal announced open support for him and started campaigning in his favour. Earlier, Singh had strongly protested Rana's inclusion in the BJP and announced that he would ..

Yellow alert in Himachal after 104 roads blocked in rain, snowfall

Normal life was disrupted in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday as higher reaches received snowfall and rain lash mid and lower hills, blocking 104 roads and three national highways, officials said. The vehicular movement to Keylong was suspended due to a massive landslide at the Selfie Point near Sissu on Manali- Keylong highway, they said. As many as 104 roads, including 99 in Lahaul and Spiti, are closed due to snowfall, according to the state emergency operation centre. Movement on Gramphu-Losar, Darcha-Sarchu and Rohtang Pass were blocked in Lahaul and Spiti, it said. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has deployed men and machinery to clear the blockade and traffic is expected to resume in next two to three hours, a spokesman of BRO said. The local meteorological station has issued a yellow warning of thunderstorm at isolated places on April 22 and 23. It has forecast rain in mid hills and rain and snowfall in higher reaches for the next six days from April 21 to April 26 as a

Himachal's Giu gets mobile network for 1st time, PM speaks to residents

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to residents of Giu village in Himachal Pradesh's Spiti after the area was connected to the mobile network for the first time. In a more than 13-minute telephonic conversation with them, Modi spoke about his visit to the border region during Diwali and asserted that connecting the village with the mobile network will quicken the 'Digital India' campaign. The government is now prioritising linking all places with the communication technology after meeting success with the electrification exercise, the prime minister said, noting that when he came to power more than 18,000 villages lacked electricity. A villager told him that they could not believe it for a moment when they were told that the area will be connected to the mobile network and their happiness knew know no bounds when it finally happened. They had to earlier travel for around eight kilometres to use their mobile-phones, he said. Modi highlighted his government's efforts to

Kangana Ranaut buys a brand new Mercedes Maybach after joining politics

Kangana Ranaut recently bought another Mercedes Maybach worth 2.43 crore soon after she joined politics. She will contest from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi constituency

Fully confident Himachal will support us, truth will prevail, says Priyanka

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and assembly bypolls to be held simultaneously in Himachal Pradesh, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday expressed confidence that people of the state will support her party and truth will prevail. She said on the one hand, there is the BJP's pursuit of power by using money and agencies, destroying democracy in the process, and on the other there is the Congress' resolve to work tirelessly for the people with truth, courage and patience. In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "I met all leaders of the Congress Party in Himachal Pradesh. I am proud of their unity, hard work, courage to contest elections strongly and their dedication towards the people." "On the one hand, there is the BJP's empire of fear, greed and lies. The pursuit of power through money power and agencies is a politics that destroys democracy. On the other hand, Congress has the resolve to work tirelessly for the people with truth, courage and patience,

Singhvi moves HC challenging his defeat in RS poll through draw of lots

Weeks after he lost the Rajya Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Saturday filed an application in the high court challenging the interpretation of draw of lots rules by the poll officer after there was a tie in the poll. BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan won the February 27 election through draw of lots after both candidates secured 34 votes each. "There is nothing in the law, neither in the act nor in the rules which compels an interpretation which requires that the person whose name is drawn in the draw of lots is a loser," Singhvi told reporters after filing his petition in the Himachal Pradesh High Court. In spite of the fact that the Congress had a strength of 40 members and the support of three Independents in the assembly, both the candidates polled 34 votes each as nine legislators -- six Congress rebels and three Independents -- voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan. The winner was announced by a draw of lots and under the procedu

Congress rebel Sudhir Sharma sends defamation notice to Himachal CM Sukhu

A day after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claimed six Congress rebels and three independents were sold for Rs 15 crore each, one of them, Sudhir Sharma, Friday sent a defamation notice to him asking for a Rs 5-crore compensation. Sharma is one of the Congress rebels. During a rally in Himachal's Una district, Sukhu had on Thursday alleged that the Congress rebels are corrupt and will go behind bars. He had said "we do not have money but we have honesty, morality and support of the people" and alleged that the six Congress rebels and three independents were sold for Rs 15 crore each. "We have proof as the facts have started unfolding in the police investigation and time has come to teach them a lesson," he had added. The CM had made the remarks against the nine legislators including six Congress rebels and three independents who had voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27. These MLA had later joined the BJP

Earthquake of 5.3-magnitude hits Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district

Tremors were felt in parts of north India as a 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday. The earthquake struck at 9.34 pm, the National Center for Seismology said. Mild tremors were also felt in Chandigarh and parts of Punjab and Haryana. The quake lasted for a few seconds. "I felt a strong jolt lasting a couple of seconds. Just when I was thinking of rushing downstairs, the tremors stopped," said Sanjay Kumar, a Chandigarh resident.

Chief secy assures CEC of conducting free-and-fair polls in Himachal

Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena assured Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday that the hill state will witness peaceful, fair and inducement-free Lok Sabha election and Assembly bypolls. Saxena gave the assurance while interacting with Kumar through a video-conference, according to a statement issued here. The Election Commission (EC) held a meeting with the chief secretaries and directors general of police of all states and Union territories as well as the heads of central agencies to ensure peaceful and inducement-free Lok Sabha polls. Kumar stressed for a level-playing field in the upcoming polls. While briefing the CEC, Saxena said adequate security measures have been put in place to seal the entry points to the state and the porous inter-state border in order to prevent bogus voting and the entry of illegal liquor and drugs. He also said a strict vigil is being maintained to prevent distribution of freebies and the movement of cash and ...

Himachal HC extends anticipatory bail of Ashish, Rakesh Sharma till Apr 26

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday extended the interim anticipatory bail of Hamirpur independent MLA Ashish Sharma and Rakesh Sharma, father of Gagret MLA Chaitanya Sharma, who were booked by the police for electoral offences and criminal conspiracy till April 26. Ashish, now BJP candidate from Gagret Vidhan Sabha, and Chetanya are among the nine MLAs, including six Congress rebels and three independents, who voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls. All of them later joined the BJP. Advocate General Anoop Rattan on Monday said that the High Court has extended the interim bail till April 26 and asked them to join the investigations and appear before the investigation officer whenever called. "We have mentioned in our status report that Rakesh Sharma, a retired bureaucrat, despite orders of the court did not join the investigations and threatened the investigation officer when asked to appear before the police," he said. Meanwhile,

Himachal Minister Vikramaditya says comments against Kangana 'unfortunate'

Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh on Saturday said the derogatory comments made against actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut were "unfortunate" even as he questioned her absence during the 2023 floods in the state. Ranaut has been fielded by the BJP as its candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat. She will take on Congress state chief and sitting Mandi MP Pratibha Singh -- the wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and the mother of Himachal Public Works Department minister Vikramaditya Singh. Days after Ranaut was named the BJP candidate from Mandi, the Congress kicked up a proverbial storm after derogatory comments about the actor and her constituency were posted on the social media handles of its leaders Supriya Shrinate and H S Ahir. "I would be the first to defend Kangana Ranaut if someone made an unwanted remark against her but where was she when the worst monsoon disaster struck Himachal?" Singh told reporters here, asserting that Ranaut was like his elder