Rebels give headache to BJP in Himachal

With less than two weeks left for the assembly election in Himachal Pradesh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party remains afflicted with the problem of rebel candidates, majority of whom have not paid heed to the high command's call to withdraw from the fray.

Only four of the 19 rebels have so far pulled out. The party has expelled Narendra Thakur for refusing to withdraw, BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in New Delhi on Friday.

Meanwhile, the BJP campaign in the state will move into top gear with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee undertaking a two-day tour from February 20 of Mandi, Shimla, Palampur and Hamirpur.

The other star campaigners for the party include Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani [February 23 and 24] and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi [February 18 and 19], Naqvi said.