People want a Virbhadra family member to contest polls: Pratibha Singh

Shimla, Mar 29 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh on Friday said the people of the state want somebody from her family to contest this Lok Sabha election, another sign that she has changed her stand on not contesting the polls.

"People have a sentimental attachment with former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and that is the reason why people always support our family and want somebody from this family to contest this election," she told PTI on Friday.

Wife of Virbhadra Singh and the mother of Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Pratibha Singh, who is an MP from Mandi, had last week announced not to contest the election as the ground situation was "not favourable" and workers were "disheartened".

However, she changed her stand on Thursday saying, "If the central Congress leadership gives me the command to contest Lok Sabha elections from the Mandi seat, I will follow." Her statement came after a meeting of the six-member committee constituted by the Congress to ensure better coordination, chalk out the strategy and discuss the names of probables was held on Wednesday.

"Whenever the Congress was in power and Virbhadra Singh was the CM, he always worked for the development of the state and whatever development you see around, was done by him," she said and appealed to the voters to wholeheartedly support the Congress as the party has worked for the development of the state.

"Though late Virbhadra Singh is not with us, yet the people have immense respect for him and support us," she told PTI adding that "we will unitedly fight the elections".

Development and welfare of the public would be the main focus during the elections and issues of unemployment, inflation, "unfulfilled" promises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and corruption would be raised.

When asked about film star Kangana Ranaut given ticket by the BJP from the Mandi constituency, she said challenge is always there in elections and it is for the people to decide who they like and want to see as their MP.

Referring to "instability" in the Congress after the recent rebellion and six disqualified party MLAs joining the BJP, she said that with time the party will make the workers stronger and infuse enthusiasm so that they go into the field and start working.

"For a long time I have been saying that the workers who worked hard day and night for the victory of the party (in the assembly polls) should be suitably accommodated and now the CM has given some responsibilities to the workers and I want the message to spread that the Congress promotes its workers," she said.

When asked that some BJP leaders are reportedly keen to join the Congress after the BJP gave tickets to six Congress rebels from their respective constituencies, she said, "We will talk to our own party's people before deciding on taking BJP leaders who are willing to join the Congress." Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has claimed that some BJP leaders are in contact with him.

Last week, she had said, "I have withdrawn my name and conveyed to the high command that I will not contest the elections and would fully support any candidate which the party's central leaders consider suitable." Polling for the four parliamentary seats and six Assembly by-elections in the state is scheduled to be held on June 1. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4. PTI