Agitated over the denial of a ticket to Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife for the Himachal Pradesh by-elections, some activists of the Congress party Monday pushed and jostled state party president Kaul Singh Thakur, party sources said. Thakur, however, denied the incident.

Virbhadra Singh and Thakur Monday started their election campaigning in the Rohru constituency in favour of party candidate Manjit Singh. By-election is also to be held from Jawali assembly constituency.

Sources in the party said as Thakur reached Sungri village, a group of women activists stopped him and asked him why Virbhadra Singh's wife, Pratibha Singh, a former MP, was not given the party ticket for the bypoll.

'In the midst of frayed tempers, heated exchanges, and cross sloganeering by supporters of an aggrieved group, Thakur was pushed around and jostled,' the sources said.

However, Thakur, when contacted over phone, denied any such incident and said he was touring the constituency with Virbhadra Singh.

'Nothing of this happened. I am campaigning for the party candidates,' he said.

Virbhadra Singh, on the other hand, told IANS: 'I have come here as a party worker. I will ensure the victory of the candidates in both seats. But the state party president (Kaul Singh Thakur) and the state legislative party leader (Vidya Stokes) are more responsible for ensuring their victory.'

The Rohru constituency has been a Virbhadra Singh stronghold for the past two decades. He was the legislator from there before he won the Lok Sabha elections and vacated the seat.

'Nobody should try to pass the blame on to me if the party suffers defeat in the by-elections,' said Virbhadra Singh, five-time former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.

The state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Khushi Ram Balnatah, who lost the Rohru elections four times in succession from Virbhadra Singh.

Himachal Pradesh will go to the polls for the two assembly seats - Rohru and Jawali - Nov 7.

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