In a major development in the state Election Commission of India had sought the report on the complaint lodged by BJP MP (Hamirpur) Mr. Anurag Thakur against state Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife, Congress MP (Mandi) Pratibha Singh for allegedly hiding the facts in election affidavit during recent by-election and assembly poll in 2012.
Confirming it chief electoral officer of State Election Narinder Chauhan said that he had got a copy of Mr. Thakur’s complaint along with ECI letter to give comment and details about the matter.
Anurag Thakur who is being implicated along with his father, former Chief Minister of Himachal Prem Kumar Dhumal in a case against Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in the Vigilance probe by state government had lodged a complaint with ECI recently.
Leader of opposition in HP assembly also wrote to AICC president Sonia Gandhi seeking probe over the matter on Monday.
Meanwhile, state government had increased the pace of Vigilance probe against Mr. Dhumal and his two sons who has been quizzed by the agency at Dharamshala on Monday.
On completion of one year of Mr. Singh in the power for sixth stint, BJP state unit also handed over 28 paged chargesheet to state Governor Urmila Singh on December 25, 2013 keeping main focus of attack on the royal couple.
BJP after getting name of a businessman from Hyderabad Vakamulla Chandrashekhar for giving Rs. 3.90 crore unsecured loan to the couple also admitted in election affidavit by Mrs. Singh.
Accusing the couple to conceal the larger facts about the antecedents of businessman and assets and liability to the public, a chargesheet made by BJP states that bank accounts of CM, MP and their children reflecting transaction of more than Rs. 7 crore.
Vakamulla Chandrashekhar, who had deposited this amount in the bank accounts is also involved in power project which was canceled in 2004 but latter was extended by Mr. Singh government in the past.
The project was brought three times in the state cabinet meeting to extend it. Now this project had been canceled recently.
Chargesheet also highlights the purchase of 3,40,000 shares by Mrs. Pratibha Singh from M/s Taruni Ltd. a firm owned by Ms. Taruni daughter of Vakamulla. MP did not reflected anything about these shares in election affidavit of 2013 by-election.
Mr. Singh who fought assembly election in year 2012 also did not reflect anything about 3 lakh and 3.40 lakh shares of his son Vikramaditya Singh and daughter Aparajita Kumari, BJP alleged.
BJP also alleged that Mrs. Singh reflected sale of 60,000 shares in affidavit but return filed by businessman shows that these shares are in the name of the couple, Mr. Dhumal said in a press conference on Sunday.