Union Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday resigned in the wake of a Himachal Pradesh court framing corruption charges against him.
Former Union minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday said he was ready to face a probe into allegations that he received payments from a private steel firm provided the role of others, including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is also investigated.
He was admitted to the hospital on Sunday after he complaints of breathing problem.
Being part of Rampur-Bushashr princely state once ruled by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's ancestors, poll result in Himachal Pradesh's Rohru Assembly seat was out the day he files his nomination.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who was addressing a press conference in Shimla on Tuesday afternoon, demanded an investigation by a Special Investigation Team on allegations that Singh received kickbacks, and facilitated huge cash deposits in favour of his business partner Anand Chauhan.
The Bharatiya Janata Party legal cell in-charge Satyapal Jain on Wednesday asked Virbhadra Singh, who resigned as union minister in the wake of a Himachal Pradesh court framing corruption charges against him, to 'honour the court order'.
The veteran leader breathed his last at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla at 3.40 am, senior medical superintendent Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) Dr. Janak Raj said.
Deciding on the chief ministerial face who can bind the party going forward is the immediate challenge for the Congress.
Special Judge B L Soni, who had reserved framing charges on conclusion of arguments on June 6 last said that sufficient evidence existed for framing of charges against Singh and his wife in the "infamous" CD case in which they were allegedly having a conversation with IAS officer Mohinder Lal and some industrialists regarding monetary transactions
Virbhadra Singh, who steered Congress to power in the assembly polls, was on Tuesday sworn-in as Himachal Pradesh chief minister for a record sixth time, heading a ten-member ministry.
In a scathing letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party's senior leader Arun Jaitley has made a number of allegations against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
Singh had vacated the Shimla (rural) seat for his son Vikramaditya Singh and shifted to Arki.
However, state Congress chief Vidya Stokes' name figures in the list of ministers proposed to the party high command, he said.
Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of targeting him as it is losing ground in the poll-bound state. "BJP is targeting me as it is losing ground in Himachal Pradesh, where assembly polls are round the corner." Singh said while addressing a press conference in Shimla.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Thursday restrained the Central Bureau of Investigation from arresting Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh in connection with the disproportionate assets case but allowed the enquiry in the matter to proceed.
Rubbishing a court's order to frame charges against him, Union minister Virbhadra Singh on Monday said the matter was sub-judice and decided to seek justice by filing a revision petition against the decision of the special court. Singh issued a statement to the press saying he had filed a writ petition in the Shimla high court for quashing of the entire criminal case against him and his wife Pratibha.
While his performance is commendable, the bribery charges against him just don't go away.
Virbhadra Singh, who steered the Congress to power in Himachal Pradesh, will be sworn in as chief minister for the sixth time in a function at historic Ridge Ground in Shimla on December 25.
Singh's wife Pratibha Singh was also summoned as accused.
The IO is also understood to have confronted him with some documents the agency had seized and recovered in this case of alleged disproportionate assets.
Officials said the agency has issued fresh summons to Singh as it wants to record his statement under the PMLA.
Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar's Chief Minister for a record 10th time, extending his tenure and joining the list of longest-serving CMs in India.
In a setback to Union minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha, the Himachal Pradesh high court on Saturday declined to stay the couple's trial in a case of alleged corruption and asked them to appear before the special court. The high court also gave no relief to Singh and his wife on their plea to quash the case and refer it to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The case relates to an audio CD which was released by former minister Vijay Singh Mankotia.
The court also dismissed petitions of his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh and another person.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has submitted a "chargesheet" to President Pranab Mukherjee demanding the ouster of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh over graft allegations.
The chargesheet, filed before Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann, names six accused, including the former chief minister and his wife.
Heated arguments were also witnessed when BJP leaders and others accompanying Kangana tried to pacify the residents, and police had to intervene to restore peace.
Even as Kiran Kumar Reddy has quit the Congress and resigned as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, protesting against the division of the state, veteran Congress leader and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh says he, too, will quit the party if its central leadership removes him from the post of chief minister, after the elections.
With the party bagging its first victory in the hill state without the charismatic presence of Virbhadra Singh, Sukhu's elevation makes it clear that the party is ready to move on.
Sukhu, the 58-year-old MLA from Nadaun in Hamirpur district, was elected the the CLP leader and will take oath as chief minister Sunday, the party said.
Clash of the two richest titans, a celebrity and a 'royal', is on the cards in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, known for electing erstwhile 'royals' maximum number of times.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday claimed there is ample admissible evidence against Congress leader and former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh to investigate allegations he received payments from a private steel firm and demanded a SIT probe.
Rubbishing allegations of corruption against him by Team Anna, Union Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday sought an unconditional apology from its key member Arvind Kejriwal for "maligning" his name, failing which he threatened to initiate legal action against him.
Welcoming Union Minister Virbhadra Singh's resignation, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday maintained it had come under public pressure and suggested that the prime minister take action against 'corrupt' ministers instead of waiting for charges to be framed against them.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has unilaterally withdrawn the defamation case filed against Arun Jaitley, the Union finance minister.
CBI sources said Singh appeared before the probe team on Tuesday morning and was questioned.
Congress sources said internal surveys indicate that the party is likely to get a majority in Himachal polls leading to increasing the number of contenders for the chief minister's post.
Amid the political uncertainty in Himachal Pradesh, state Congress chief Pratibha Singh on Friday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party's work is better than that of the grand old party.
Historically, the Mandi constituency has favoured scions of erstwhile princely states, electing royals in 13 out of 19 elections, including two bypolls since 1952.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday ruled out resignation in the wake of corruption charges against him by the Bharatiya Janata Party, and said he was ready to face any probe by any agency.
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