Bindal is state BJP president; Rana removed as general secy
Five-term former legislator Bindal represented Solan assembly constituency before shifting his base to Nahan in 2012
In a surprise move, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday appointed former Himachal Pradesh health minister Rajeev Bindal as the new president of the state party unit replacing Suresh Kashyap, while it also removed the party’s powerful organisational general secretary Pavan Rana, who was largely blamed for giving wrong feedback to the party on the selection of candidates both in the assembly elections and the underway Shimla Municipal Corporation elections.
Known for his organisational skills, Bindal is a five-term former legislator. He represented the Solan assembly constituency before shifting his base to Nahan in 2012.
He remained the state health minister in the Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP government from 2007 to 2012.
His appointment came after Kashyap, who is also the Shimla MP, resigned from the post on April 20 citing personal reasons.
This would be his second term as the state party president. He earlier severed as the party president from January to May 2020 before his stint was cut short after a health department scam purchase amid the Covid pandemic in which fingers were also pointed at a businessman close to him. The government had ordered an inquiry but found nothing against Bindal.
In 1995, he contested the election of the Solan municipal council, and remained president of the Solan municipal council from 1996 to 2000.
He also remained as the treasurer of the state BJP from 1997 to 2000.
Elected to the state legislative assembly for the first time in 2000 bypoll, he also remained as the HP state environment and pollution control board chairman.
He was re-elected to the state legislative assembly in 2003 and 2007 from Solan assembly constituency and in 2012 from Nahan assembly constituency. Bindal also worked as the spokesperson, vice-president and general secretary of the BJP state unit during 2007-2012 and as the health and family welfare and ayurveda minister of Himachal from January 2008 to June 2012.
Elected to the state legislative assembly for the fifth time from the Nahan constituency in December 2017, he remained as the HP vidhan sabha speaker from January 10, 2018 to January 16, 2020. Bindal resigned from the vidhan sabha to take up the party responsibility but was removed again in May 2020.
A confidant of BJP national president JP Nadda, Bindal after winning five straight wins, lost the 2022 assembly elections to Congress’ Ajay Solanki by a thin margin of over 1,600 votes.
His appointment indicates the firm grip that Nadda has on the party affairs in the hill state.
Bindal’s appointment comes at a point when the party is already going into Shimla municipal corporation polls while the general elections 2024 are just a year away. The party would expect him to identify and overcome the shortcomings that led to BJP’s defeat in the 2022 assembly elections, besides maintaining a balance between different power centres within the party. BJP faced a rebellion in a big way in the assembly elections and infighting cost heavily to the party in the elections.
Apart from the appointment of Bindal, the BJP also shifted Himachal Pradesh’s general secretary (organisation) Pavan Rana who has been sent to Delhi in the same post. He would be replaced by Siddharthan who was earlier the general secretary (organisation) of the Delhi state unit. The voices of dissent were getting shriller against Rana after the party’s debacle in the elections many of the leaders had rightly blamed Rana for running parallel activities in the party.
Suresh Kashyap, who was present at the press conference organised hurriedly in Shimla to release the party’s manifesto for the MC elections, said “I myself had desired to step down from the party post since I am keen to contest Lok Sabha elections.” He said he would contest elections from the Shimla Lok Sabha seat again.