New Delhi, Jan 27: BJP is not likely to have an alliance with former minister Sukh Ram's Himachal Vikas Congress in the coming assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. "The alliance with Sukh Ram's Himachal Vikas Congress is not likely for the coming elections. In the last elections too it was only an informal arrangement," party spokesman and in- charge of Himachal Pradesh Arun Jaitley told reporters here. Sukh Ram was recently convicted in a telecom scam case by a special CBI court in the capital and he has gone in appeal to Delhi High Court. A meeting of members of parliament from Himachal Pradesh with central leaders Madan Lal Khurana and O P Kohli is slated for later this evening to discuss the selection of candidates and the overall political situation in the state. The State Election Committee will be meeting tomorrow to finalise the candidates list which would be sent for approval at the meeting of the Central Election Committee scheduled for January 29, he said.

The central election committee meeting to be held at Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's residence is to be attended by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, party president M Venkaiah Naidu, Chief Minister P K Dhumal and state unit leaders.


Bureau Report