IANS/Shimla
Congress veteran Virbhadra Singh will take oath as Himachal Pradesh chief minister here tomorrow, a party leader said yesterday. This will be his sixth term in the post.
“The Congress wants that the process of the government formation is done at the earliest to honour the mandate,” the Congress leader said.
Singh has left for Delhi to meet Congress leaders including party president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the formation of the new government.
The 78-year-old, popularly known as ‘Raja Saab’ as he was born in the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, was formally elected leader of the Congress legislature party on Saturday night. His name was cleared for the top post by the central leadership of the Congress.
“Today I am more grounded and tolerant. My commitment and zeal to the work is the same as it was during my first innings (as chief minister),” Singh said.
He added his vast experience - in the state and in the central government - would help to bring Himachal Pradesh out of bankruptcy and arrest corruption. He vowed to end red tape.
Without mincing words, Singh said: “My first priority after taking oath would be to weed out corruption and inefficiency.”
As news of his appointment as chief minister flashed, a large number of supporters from across the state poured into his house, Holly Lodge, in Jakhu hills here. They danced to drums and trumpets.
Accusing the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government of carrying out political vendetta against him and Congress leaders, Singh, who started his political career by entering the Lok Sabha in 1962, said he was made to face court cases each time Prem Kumar Dhumal came to power.
“Last time (1998-2003) he came, he registered a case against me. Later I came out clean. This time too he has booked me in a corruption case on the basis of an audio CD whose origin is not known,” he said.
Taking a jibe at rivals within his own party, Singh said: “They are my brother and sisters. But sadly they have gone astray.”
Singh resigned as federal minister for micro, small and medium enterprises in June after a Shimla court order in a 23-year-old corruption case.