BJP Changes Electoral Strategy
Himachal This Week Team (cover story)
Himachalis were eagerly waiting for candidates of the Congress and BJP for upcoming assembly elections. As the Congress has relied on its old leaders to contest elections in most of the assembly segments, barring some exceptions, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has changed its electoral strategy. It has not only fielded 19 new faces but also six women candidates as party candidates replacing old faces. As aspirations of BJP workers were high with a hope that party will regain power in this hilly state, there are reports of dissent from various constituencies where rebels are likely to contest elections as independent candidates, political observers feel. However, the BJP is already in damage control mode as Union Health Minister JP Nadda rushed to Palampur to pacify member of Parliament Shanta Kumar whose loyalist was denied ticket from Palampur. It remains to be seen how the BJP tackles the situation that is likely to be clear after October 26, the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers. Meanwhile, the political temperature is likely to rise in coming days.
BJP Fields 19 New Faces
The BJP has fielded 19 new faces as party candidates for upcoming assembly elections in Himachal besides reposing faith in its old faces. Will masses express face in BJP’s new faces, only election results will tell. Sources said that the party has given assembly tickets to new candidates on the basis of a survey conducted by it. New faces also include those leaders are active in politics since long but couldn’t get party ticket in the past. The list of new faces also include those names who have also contested assembly elections as independent candidates. These include DS Thakur from Dalhousie, Reeta Dhiman from Indora, Arjun Thakur from Jawali and Arun Kumar from Nagrota Bagwan. Arun Kumar alias Kuka had contested last assembly election as independent candidate from this constituency. The BJP has allocated party ticket to Indu Goswami for the first time from Palampur constituency. Similarly, Ravinder Dhiman, who contested 2012 election as independent got BJP ticket from Jaisinghpur constituency. The party has forwarded Surinder Shuri from banjar, Rakesh Jamwal from Sundernagar, Inder Singh Gandhi from Balh and Kamlesh Kumari from Bhoranj constituency. This seat was represented by ID Dhiman but after his demise, his son Dr. Anil Dhiman had won the bye-election. However, now the BJP has replaced its candidate from Bhoranj and fielded Kamlesh Kumari. Rajesh Thakur from Gagret and Ram Kumar Sharma from Haroli have been allocated BJP tickets. However, the party has fielded retired IAS officer JR Katwal from Jhanduta assembly segment. Subhash Thakur from Bilaspur, Ratan Pal from Arki and Dr. Rajesh Kashyap from Solan have also got BJP tickets. Vijay Jyoti Sein, who contested as independent candidate from Kasumpati assembly seat, has got BJP ticket this time. The opposition has also fielded Parmod Sharma, who had contested as independent twice, from Shimla Rural seat. The BJP has made Shashi Bala as its candidate from Rohru as she is fighting assembly election for the first time.
Fields Six Women Candidates
The BJP has fielded six women candidates for upcoming assembly elections. Sarween Chaudhary is the only sitting woman MLA of the party from Shahpur constituency. New five women candidates fielded by the BJP include state BJP Mahila Morcha president Indu Goswami (Palampur), Kamlesh Kumari (Bhoranj), Vijay Jyoti Sein (kasumapti), Shashi Bala (Rohru) and Reeta Dhiman (Indora). Biggest surprise come in Bhoranj assembly seat where Kamlesh Kumari has replaced Dr. Anil Dhiman who had won bye-election recently following demise of his father ID Dhiman.
Modi Mantra In Tickets Allocation
Both the political parties have been allocating tickets based on caste combinations. However, this is the first time that the BJP has not fielded a Brahmin candidate in Kangra and Chamba districts. Rajput and Chaudhary communities too did not get much importance though party took care of the Gaddi community which had shown open dissent. Twenty five Rajputs, eight Brahmin candidates besides leaders leaders hailing from Gaddi, Chaudhary and other sections will contest on BJP tickets on all 68 assembly segments in Himachal.
Nadda In ‘Damage Control’ Mode
As voices of dissent surfaced in Palampur assembly segment following allocation of BJP ticket to state BJP Mahila Morcha president Indu Goswami, Member of Parliament Shanta Kumar was reportedly annoyed over political happenings in his home town. Shanta Kumar has reportedly been pushing the name of his protege and former MLA Parveen Sharma. Union Health Minister JP Nadda rushed to Palampur to pacify senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar and the two had a close door meeting for over an hour. The party workers have been showing their anger over denial of ticket to Parveen Sharma and Shanta’s annoyance was also apparently visible. After the meeting both Nadda and Shanta claimed that BJP will form the government in Himachal.
Tough Task To Contain Rebels
Following the release of candidates list for Himachal assembly elections, the BJP high command is working to contain rebel candidates after the reports of dissent from different parts. Sources said the state party affairs in charge Mangal Pandey and parliamentary board secretary JP Nadda have asked annoyed leaders not to enter electoral fray as party’s rebel candidates. They have been assuring them to suitable accommodate following formation of BJP’s government in Himachal. There have numerous reports that annoyed leaders to contest elections as independent candidates. The list includes Suresh Chandel, Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Sanjay Guleria, Sheela from Baijntah, Baldev from Fatehpur, Dr. Anil Dhiman from Bhoranj, Bir Singh from Shillai, Khimi Ram from Banjar, Darshan Saini from Doon, Govind Ram from Arki and others. There are other constituencies where aspirants of the BJP ticket felt that their merit have been ignored in allocation of tickets, political observers feel.
| CHAMBA | ||
| Constituency | BJP | Congress |
| Churah | Hansraj | Surender Bhardwaj |
| Bharmour | Jiya Lal Kapoor | Thakur Singh Bharmouri |
| Chamba | Pawan Nayar | Neeraj Nayar |
| Dalhousie | D.S. Thakur | Asha Kumari |
| Bhatiyat | Vikram Singh Jariyal | Kuldeep Singh Pathania |
| KANGRA | ||
| Nurpur | Rakesh Pathania | Ajay Mahajan |
| Indora | Rita Dhiman | Kamal Kishore |
| Fatehpur | Kripal Parmar | Sujan Singh Pathania |
| Jawali | Arjun Singh Thakur | Chander Kumar |
| Dehra | Ravinder Singh Ravi | Viplove Thakur |
| Jaswan Pragpur | Vikram Singh | Surender Mankotia |
| Jwalamukhi | Ramesh Dhawala | Sanjay Rattan |
| Jaisinghpur | Ravinder Dhiman | Yadvinder Goma |
| Sulah | Vipin Singh Parmar | Jagjivan Pal |
| Nagrota Bagwan | Arun Kumar (Kuka) | G.S. Bali |
| Kangra | Sanjay Choudhary | Pawan Kajal |
| Shahpur | Sarveen Choudhary | Not Announced |
| Dharamshala | Kishan Kapoor | Sudhir Sharma |
| Palampur | Indu Goswami | Not Announced |
| Baijnath | Mulkhraj Premi | Kishori Lal |
| LAHAUL SPITI | ||
| Lahaul-Spiti | Ram Lal Markandey | Ravi Thakur |
| KULLU | ||
| Manali | Govind Singh Thakur | Not Announced |
| Kullu | Maheshwar Singh | Not Announced |
| Banjar | Surender Shouri | Aditya Vikram Singh |
| Aani | Kishori Lal | Banshi Lal |
| MANDI | ||
| Karsog | Heera Lal | Mansa Ram |
| Sundernagar | Rakesh Jamwal | Sohan Lal Thakur |
| Nachan | Vinod Kumar | Lal Singh Kaushal |
| Seraj | Jai Ram Thakur | Chet Ram Thakur |
| Darang | Jawahar Thakur | Kaul Singh Thakur |
| Jogindernagar | Gulab Singh Thakur | Jivan Lal Thakur |
| Dharampur | Mahender Singh Thakur | Chandrashekhar |
| Mandi | Anil Sharma | Not Announced |
| Balh | Inder Singh Gandhi | Prakash Chaudhary |
| Sarkaghat | Col. Inder Singh | Pawan Thakur |
| HAMIRPUR | ||
| Bhoranj | Kamlesh Kumari | Suresh Kumar |
| Sujanpur | Prem Kumar Dhumal | Rajender Rana |
| Hamirpur | Narender Thakur | Kuldeep Pathania |
| Barsar | Baldev Sharma | Inderdutt Lakhanpal |
| Nadaun | Vijay Agnihotri | Sukhvinder Singh (Sukhu) |
| UNA | ||
| Chintpurni | Balbir Singh Choudhary | Kuldeep Kumar |
| Gagret | Rajesh Thakur | Rakesh Kalia |
| Haroli | Ram Kumar Sharma | Mukesh Agnihotri |
| Una | Satpal Singh Satti | Satpal Raijada |
| Kutlehar | Virender Kanwar | Not Announced |
| BILASPUR | ||
| Jhanduta | J.R. Katwal | Dr. Veeru Ram |
| Ghumarwin | Rajender Garg | Rajesh Dharmani |
| Bilaspur | Subhash Thakur | Bambar Thakur |
| Shree Naina Devi | Randhir Sharma | Ram Lal Thakur |
| SOLAN | ||
| Arki | Rattan Pal Singh | Virbhadra Singh |
| Nalagarh | Krishan Lal Thakur | Not Announced |
| Doon | Paramjit (Pammi) | Ram Kumar |
| Solan | Rajesh Kashyap | Dhaniram Shandil |
| Kasauli | Rajeev Sehjal | Vinod Sultanpuri |
| SIRMAUR | ||
| Pachhad | Suresh Kumar Kashyap | Ganguram Musafir |
| Nahan | Rajeev Bindal | Ajay Solanki |
| Shree Renukaji | Balbir Chauhan | Vinay Kumar |
| Paonta Sahib | Sukhram Choudhary | Kirnesh Jung |
| Shilai | Baldev Singh Tomar | Harshvardhan Chaouhan |
| SHIMLA | ||
| Chopal | Balbir Singh Verma | Subhash Manglet |
| Theog | Rakesh Verma | Not Announced |
| Kusumpti | Vijay Jyoti Sen | Anirudh Singh |
| Shimla | Suresh Bhardwaj | Harbhajan Singh Bhajji |
| Shimla Rural | Pramod Sharma | Not Announced |
| Jubbal Kotkhai | Narender Bragta | Rohit Thakur |
| Rampur | Prem Singh Draik | Nand Lal |
| Rohru | Shashi Bala | Mohan Lal Brakta |
| Kinnaur | Tejwant Negi | Jagat Singh Negi |
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