Shimla: The flashback of this memory revolves around the time when I was not even born and Shri Virbhadra Singh ji was declared as the Congress candidate form Mahasu for Lok Sabha elections in 1962. Soon after his name was cleared as the party nominee, Raja Sahib, as Virbhadra Singh ji was popularly known in the political circle, reached Assembly Baijnath to find an appropriate person to canvass for him during the election.

While discussing about the right person for canvassing, a shop owner told Virbhadra to wait till a bus reaches at the stop and the right person will be seated on the front seat, wearing a white cap. His name is as Pandit Sant Ram Ji. Virbhadra was convinced, as many others too had referred Pandit Sant Ram’s name to Raja Sahib.

Accordingly, the bus reached and Raja Sahib entered into the bus to find Pandit Sant Ram. It was the beginning of a long journey of relationship, having no iota of doubt. A strong foundation of relations was laid. Raja ji was a Member of Parliament and the next elections to the State Assembly were also declared.

YS Parmar was the then Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Smt Satyavati was the State Congress President. In the capacity of an MP, Virbhadra asked for the ticket to Pt. Sant Ram ji from Baijnath assembly constituency. There was a hot discussion on the issue of ticket for the constituency, along with opposition from all corners. But Raja Sahib stood firm and insisted that that there was no meaning of staying back as an MP when he could not manage a ticket to bonafide person for an assembly constituency.

The reaction of six-time CM was noticed by Smt. Indira Gandhi and on her directions, and Pt Sant Ram was offered the ticket. He won the seat and I was born in the same year. Up on growing up, I found that my father used to take me to Raja Sahib and the adorable queen Smt. Ratan Kumari ji always treated me like her own son.

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