People of the Dehar area under Balh segment in the district were in for a surprise when they spotted former union minister Sukh Ram and state Congress president Virbhadra Singh, who were political rivals once, sharing the stage at an election rally while campaigning in favour of Prakash
Chaudhary, Congress candidate from Balh. Last time, the two leaders shared the stage was in the parliamentary elections at Seri Manch, Mandi, in 2004.
Sukh Ram, despite his ill-health, is determined to campaign for his son Anil Sharma and three other Congress candidates who had won assembly elections from his political front, Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) in 1998. The HVC had won five seats and Sukh Ram supported the Bharatiya Janata Party in the hung assembly and Prem Kumar Dhumal was sworn in as chief minister.
Balh Congress candidate Prakash Chaudhary was one among the winner candidates on HVC ticket who joined the BJP government in 1998 and remained minister for five years and joined the Congress later.
Virbhadra Singh and Sukh Ram, however, denied any differences between them while addressing an election rally at Kansa Chowk in the Dehar area of Balh segment. They did make veiled attacks against each other, though in a lighter vain.