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BJP drops Maheshwar Singh from Kullu Sadar, gives ticket to school lecturer
The BJP had nominated Maheshwar Singh, a scion of the Kullu royal family, after much deliberation, especially since the party’s state vice-president Ram Singh revolted and filed his nomination as an independent candidate
After his younger son rebelled and filed nomination papers as an independent candidate, the BJP revoked former state president Maheshwar Singh’s candidature and instead gave the ticket to contest from the Kullu seat to school lecturer Narottam Thakur ,just before the nominations ended on Tuesday.
The BJP had nominated Maheshwar Singh, a scion of the Kullu royal family, after much deliberation, especially since the party’s state vice-president Ram Singh revolted and filed his nomination as an independent candidate. The BJP withdrew Maheshwar’s candidature after he failed to convince his son Hiteshwar Singh, who was keen to fight on a BJP ticket from the Banjar assembly segment, to withdraw his nomination as an independent candidate.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur had also flown to Bhuntar, two days ago, to convince Hiteshwar to withdraw his nomination from Banjar where the BJP has fielded MLA Surinder Shourie, but to no avail. Congress has pitted former BJP president Khimi Ram from Banjar after he switched sides. Khimi Ram, once a staunch Dhumal loyalist, had been miffed over being overlooked by the party.
Maheshwar Singh was elected to the state assembly from the Banjar assembly segment in 1977 as a Janata Party candidate and was re-elected in 1982.He was later elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament in 1989, 1998 and 1999.
After falling out with then chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, he had also launched his own political outfit, the Himachal Lok Hit Party (HLP) before the 2012 elections. After he was elected to the state assembly from Kullu, he merged HLP with the BJP in 2016. However, he lost the 2017 assembly election to Congress’ Sunder Singh Thakur.
Decisions reconsidered
Two days ago, the BJP, faced with a revolt in Chamba, had revoked the candidature of Indira Kapoor, a woman leader, and allotted the ticket to Neelam Nayyar, the wife of MLA Pawan Nayyar. BJP is facing rebellion in as many as 18 assembly segments as the party dropped 11 legislators to fight anti-incumbency, which has led to disgruntlement in its ranks.
Nadda quelling rebellions
National president Jagat Parkash Nadda is also camping at his residence in Vijaypur in the Bilaspur assembly segment to quell the rebellion, and has met several leaders at his residence. He also organised a community lunch for around 3,000 party workers.
Among the sitting legislators denied a ticket, the BJP also dropped legislator Subash Thakur from Bilaspur, and instead given the ticket to Nadda’s protégé Trilok Jamwal, the party’s general secretary. Trilok has also been political advisor to CM Jai Ram Thakur. Another party leader, Subash Sharma, has filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Bilaspur.
There is also resentment in the party cadre after Suresh Bhardwaj, a four-time MLA from Shimla urban was replaced by Sanjay Sood, a tea stall owner from Shimla, a development that has caused much rancour in his camp.
Instead, Bhardwaj was shifted to Kasumpti and forest minister Rakesh Pathania to Fatehpur from Nurpur.
Former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who unexpected lost in the 2012 assembly elections, was also not allotted a ticket.
