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BJP meet deliberates ways to check factionalism in party
BJP has got into the election mode in Himachal Pradesh. Its core group during a meeting in Shimla deliberated on ways to ebb factionalism raising its head in various constituencies
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has got into the election mode in the poll-bound Himachal Pradesh. Its core group, during a meeting in Shimla on Thursday, deliberated on ways to ebb factionalism raising its head in various constituencies, particularly where Independent and Congress legislators were inducted.
The BJP cadres had strongly resisted the entry of Congress’ former working president Pawan Kajal to the party. Kajal had shifted back his loyalties to the BJP, while two-time Congress legislator Lakhwinder Singh Rana had joined the BJP in Nalagarh. BJP workers are up in arms against the party’s move to induct Rana.
The group of former MLA KL Thakur, a Dhumal loyalist who had been working to brace up the party’s prospects in the constituency, had strongly opposed Rana’s entry. Former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, a member of the BJP core group, too had opposed the BJP’s move to induct the leaders without consultations of the cadres of the block unit.
The BJP’s core group went into a huddle in Shimla and the meeting continued late at night. BJP state president Suresh Kumar, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, former chief minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, former party president Dr Rajeev Bindal, Satpal Satti, state in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna, state general secretary Trilok Jamwal, Trilok Kapoor, Rakesh Jamwal and Pavan Rana attended the meeting. BJP national vice-president Saudan Singh, who is poll in-charge for Himachal, was also present.
The CM has already said on record that more Congress leaders will join the party in days to come. “Two Independent and two Congress legislators joined the party and many more are likely to join the party in the future,” said state party chief Suresh Kashyap.
Independent legislators Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra and Prakash Rana from the Joginder Nagar assembly segment joined the BJP. Party cadres strongly opposed the entry of Hoshiyar Singh who had defeated five-time legislator Ravinder Singh Ravi, a staunch Dhumal loyalist. Union minister Anurag Thakur was also unhappy over the development. Anurag had conveyed his displeasure over Rana not extending him an invitation for the proposed party programme. Hoshiyar Singh has not met Anurag so far. Parkash Rana defeated Anurag’s father-in-law from Joginder Nagar Gulab Singh M Thakur, former speaker and revenue minister in the Dhumal government in 1998 and then in 2004. Rana is likely to get a post in the party.
The BJP also redrew its plans to brace up the cadres before the elections. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah will visit the state. Modi will hold back-to-back three rallies in Himachal next month. He will inaugurate AAIMS in Bilaspur, the Chamera project in Chamba and address Yuva Morcha workers in Sujanpur in September while Shah will participate in rallies in all the parliamentary segments – Hamirpur, Shimla, Mandi and Kangra.
The core group also deliberated on the chief minister’s face in Himachal. It’s likely that the party will project Jai Ram Thakur as its CM’s face in Himachal. The BJP’s core group also finalised the panel for the state election’s steering committee that will be headed by the CM and the election management committee.
