HLP gets telephone as its election symbol

Vishal Sharma, Shimla Correspondent

            Newly formed political outfit in the state, Himachal Lokhit Party has been allotted Telephone as its election symbol for the forthcoming assembly elections. In the 1998, Himachal Vikas Congress, under the leadership of Pandit Sukh Ram, remained the government makers with 5 seats in the assembly. Both the BJP and the Congress won 31 seats each in the 68 seat HP legislative assembly. The Himachal Vikas Congress joined hands with the BJP and formed the government. The important point is that during those times, telephone was the election symbol the Himachal Vikas Congress.

With Maheshwar Singh led HLP having been allotted telephone as its election symbol, speculations have begun that the HLP will play a king-maker in the coming assembly elections like 1998. The party workers have accelerated the election campaigning after the allotment of the party symbol. As per party sources, the election canvassing material like banners, posters and pamphlets are ready, only the party symbol is to be printed.

It would now be interesting to see that whether the telephone is able to establish a communication channel between the party candidates and the voters leading them to the assembly or the lines remain dead ensuring loss.