Himachal polls: 'In no hurry" to become CM, says Virbhadra Singh

Shimla: After steering Congress to power in Himachal Pradesh, its state chief Virbhadra Singh on Thursday said "he was in no hurry" to become the next Chief Minister and a final decision on the issue would be taken by party high command. "The party had entrusted me the task of bringing it back to power in Himachal and AICC president Sonia Gandhi will now take the final decision on the CLP leader," he said.

When asked whether he would be chief minister for the sixth time, 78-year-old Singh said "he was in no hurry". Singh was Chief Minister between 1983 and 85; 1985 and 1990; 1993 and 1998 and 2003 and 2007. He, however, spoke about priorities of Congress government saying corruption charges against the BJP regime would be probed by a Special Investigation Team.

The BJP government targeted and implicated me in "false cases" and let loose political vendetta, he said adding, the CD case against him was a total "concoction". In his previous term also, Dhumal had levelled "false charges" against me and justice in the matter was finally done by the High Court and Supreme Court, the Congress leader said.

The BJP government targeted and implicated me in false cases and let loose political vendetta, Virbhadra Singh said.

He expressed his gratitude to the people and party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for launching popular schemes and giving liberal financial assistance to Himachal through centrally sponsored schemes like MNREGA, NRHM, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan, Mid Day Meal scheme and ICDS programme.

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