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Ahead of assembly polls in HP, AAP looking to poach Congress and BJP leaders
Buoyant over its spectacular performance in the assembly elections in the neighbouring Punjab , Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is keen to poach Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress leaders in Himachal Pradesh
Buoyant over its spectacular performance in the assembly elections in the neighbouring Punjab , Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is keen to poach Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress leaders in Himachal Pradesh.
AAP has announced that it will contest not only the HP assembly polls scheduled for the end of the year, but also the Shimla municipal corporation elections. The civic polls have been dubbed the semi-finals to the assembly elections, as it will reflect the mood of the public in the state.
Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s maiden roadshow in Mandi on April 6 , a few leaders from Congress and BJP have already joined the party. It is likely that a few big leaders from both parties will join AAP during the roadshow as well. Mandi is the home turf of incumbent CM Jai Ram Thakur.
As it lacks a big face in the state, AAP is banking upon the disgruntled leaders from BJP and Congress to strengthen its base in the hill-state.
Leaders who have joined AAP recently include Rakesh Chaudhary, a prominent OBC face from Dharamshala and former state youth Congress president Manish Thakur.
Chaudhary, who was a BJP member, had contested the 2019 by-election for the Dharamshala assembly seat as an independent after being denied ticket and was the runner-up.
The party had on Monday appointed an eight-member team to expand the organisation and devise poll strategies in Himachal. Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has been made the election in-charge for HP, while Durgesh Pathak has been appointed state in-charge. Ratnesh Gupta, who was earlier in-charge of Himachal, has been made co-in-charge. Satendar Tonger has been appointed state secretary (organisation), Bipin Rai secretary to election in-charge and Deepak Bali media in-charge.
Infighting rife in Saffron Party
Infighting had cost BJP heavy in the October by-polls to three assembly and the one Parliamentary seat and the Saffron Party after its defeat has done little to recover as prominent leaders like former MP Maheshwar Singh, former minister Anil Sharma, Jawalamukhi MLA Ramesh Dhawala and Ranbir Singh Nikka, BJP general secretary of Nurpur organisational district, have publicly shared their displeasure.
While Maheshwar is disgruntled over being ignored in the party, Anil Sharma, son of Congress veteran Sukh Ram, is at loggerheads with the chief minister as he was forced to step down as minister after his son Aashray Sharma contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on Congress ticket.
BJP’s vanguard leader and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s trusted loyalist and six-time legislator Ravinder Singh Ravi had been lying low after his unexpected defeat from Dehra.
Dhawala is peeved over interference by BJP’s general secretary (organisation) for Himachal Pavan Rana in his constituency. Dhawala has openly spoken out against Rana accusing him of acting like a “thanedar” (jailer).
Former Palampur MLA Parveen Sharma is also not very happy. He had contested the 2017 assembly election as an independent after being denied a ticket, was expelled, but later returned to the party fold.
“Leaders from both parties are in touch with our leadership in Delhi,” said party spokesman Gaurav Sharma. AAP’s surge has certainly increased worries for the ruling and opposition parties. Congress summoned its vanguards leaders to Delhi to discuss states political scenario, while BJP had taken stock of AAP’s activities in the state in a meeting two days ago.
