Members shares memories of futile kidnap of demise MLA Mansa Ram 

Members of Himachal Pradesh Assembly shared their memories with the  late MLA and former minister Mansa Ram, how later skipped the kidnapping during formation of  Virbhadra Singh Government. He was speaking in the State Legislative Assembly while participating in obituary references on the demise of Mr Mansa Ram. Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur narrated his memoirs  how formation of government in 1998 Mr Mansa Ram skipped from a probable kidnapping. He had to win a vote of confidence and needed an MLA.  All the MLAs were outside in their assembly constituencies.  Meanwhile, nomination for Rajya Sabha was to be held and all the MLAs had to come to Shimla. He said that he and Mansa Ram, along with other BJP MLAs, reached Shimla late at night and at night. He and Mansa Ram stayed in the same room in the PWD  rest house near Raj Bhavan, as there was danger of kidnapping but they were locked from the outside. But even then the people kept knocking at the door at night.  Somehow night passed and in the morning the geyser wire in the bathroom short circuit as there was an explosion in the geyser and the room got steamy. The parties rushed the room and it was locked from outside. Jairam said that he had seen that period also. He said that Mansa Ram was an all round leader who used to remove tension. Leader of Opposition said that he was a very senior leader but in spite of this he was made CPS in 2012. BJP MLA Anil Sharma said that during that time Mansa Ram was removed from there wearing a turban and moustache. That too in 1998, when the then Congress government was struggling to include the MLAs of Himachal Vikas Congress and independent candidates in the government. The MLAs of BJP and HVC were hiding. Finally, after 13 days, Virbhadra Singh had to resign from his post.  Presenting a condolence resolution in the House, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that he was the first to win the assembly in 1967 and became the youngest minister of state in the Parmar cabinet.  After that he won from his constituency in 1972, 1982, 1998 and 2012.  Sukhu said that Mansa Ram was born on May 30, 1940 at Karsog in Mandi and died earlier this year on January 14.  Sukhu said that he lived in his neighborhood and learned a lot from him.