BJP’s slogan for the upcoming Assembly elections, “Change the Vogue” seems to be in trouble due to rebels. However, the top leadership is finding ways to settle scores with the rebellions. On Tuesday, Yuvraj Singh Kapoor decided to withdraw his nomination in favour of the BJP. Yet there are many who are still upset with the BJP. On the other hand, the Congress leadership is also striving hard to make its rebels come in terms with them.
In the BJP, after seeing the situation getting worse, party President J.P Nadda has himself taken the front. Notably, Himachal Pradesh is Nadda’s home state and, therefore, the prestige of the BJP high command is directly at stake in the hilly state. This is why Nadda himself had to enter the field and convince the rebels, as the withdrawal of nomination takes place on 29 October.
In the first list of candidates, the party named Indira Kapoor from Chamba by cutting the ticket of the sitting MLA Pawan Nayyar, but later changed the candidate to his wife Neelam Nayyar. She was declared the candidate from Chamba within two days after heavy opposition from the workers at the local level. Senior party leader Maheshwar Singh was fielded from the Kullu seat, but his son Hiteshwar Singh raised the rebel flag and announced to contest as an independent from the Banjara seat.
Nadda tried to persuade both the father and son, but when he did not agree, he cut the father’s ticket as well. Now the BJP has declared Narottam Thakur as its candidate. J.P Nadda met Vandana Guleria, daughter of Jal Shakti minister Ravindra Singh, who was angry about not getting a ticket. In protest against her brother Rajat Thakur, the General Secretary of State Mahila Morcha did not file a nomination from Dharampur in Mandi.
Dissatisfied with ticket distribution in Himachal Pradesh, more than 15 candidates each from the BJP and Congress are contesting as independent candidates for the assembly elections. This has increased the uneasiness in the party. The last date for filing nominations was 25 October.
TDG spoke to Co-Incharge Elections in Himachal, Sanjay Tandon, to find out how the BJP is planning to settle scores with rebels. He exhorted that everyone in leadership is assigned a job and they are meeting everyone who got upset during the procedure.
The following leaders from the BJP are now contesting as independents:
Maheshwar Singh (Kullu), his son Hiteshwar Singh (Banjar), former Rajya Sabha MP Kripal Parmar (Fatehpur), former MLA Tejwant Negi (Kinnaur), KL Thakur (Nalagarh), Abhishek Thakur (Sundernagar). Praveen Sharma (Mandi Sadar), Subhash Sharma (Bilaspur Sadar), Vipin Nehria (Dharamsala), Manohar Dhiman (Indore), Indra Kapoor (Chamba), Sanjeev Sharma (Badsar), Rajinder Dhirta (Rohru), and Raj Kumar Kaundal (Jhanduta).
