Himachal Pradesh: CM Virbhadra rules out mid-term polls, says his government stable

Hamirpur: Asserting that his government was firm and stable, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Saturday ruled out mid term assembly polls in the state. "My government enjoys absolute majority and would complete its five year term. BJP leaders, who are spreading canards regarding the stability of my government, would be disappointed," he said while talking to mediapersons.

Singh also ruled out any reshuffle in his cabinet and said all ministers were functioning well. The ministers have been given complete freedom to work the way they want, but once the cabinet takes a decision it is binding on all the ministers, he said.

"I am not a dictator. I am concerned about the well-being and welfare of the masses but the decisions taken in the state cabinet are binding on all ministers and no one should have an impression that he is above the cabinet," he added.

Hitting out at BJP leaders, especially former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his MP son Anurag Thkaur, for "unleashing a vilification campaign against him", Singh said their nefarious designs would never succeed.

"The previous BJP governments led by Dhumal had tried to implicate me in false cases but thanks to God, I got clean chit from courts and came out unscathed," he said. Dismissing allegations made by BJP leaders that he was unleashing political vendetta on opponents, Singh said it was the other way round as doing such a thing was an unhealthy tradition started by the BJP.

Singh said that he was enquiring into the allegations of corruption and misuse of power against some BJP leaders. "I am trying fulfill the promises made to people during the elections to probe all cases of corruption," he said. He also said that the Congress government was working to make Hamirpur district "an educational hub" and had already opened various educational institutes in the district.

A new medical college would also be opened soon for which land is being identified, he added. On being asked whether the new medical college would be like AIIMS as suggested by the local MP Anurag Thakur, Singh replied in negative and said he would be happy if Thakur brought any AIIMS-like college to the state.