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BJP steps up efforts to placate rebel Chetan Bragta
BJP Himachal chief Suresh Kashyap also spoke to Chetan and urged him to withdraw his nomination in favour of party candidate Saraik
With just a day left for withdrawal of nominations, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday stepped up its efforts to persuade its information and technology chief Chetan Bragta, who had revolted against the party and filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Jubbal Kotkhai after the party chose Neelam Saraik over him.
“I will not budge. The party has meted out injustice on me and other BJP workers. I was asked by the party to start campaigning soon after my father’s demise. Why did it do so when it had no plan to field me as a candidate,” said Chetan when contacted.
State party chief Suresh Kashyap also spoke to Chetan and urged him to withdraw his nomination in favour of party candidate Saraik. A large number of office-bearers of the block unit are currently siding with Chetan and also gave a miss to chief minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur’s public meeting on Friday. The CM had also reached out to Chetan and his supporters earlier.
Union minister for information and broadcasting, Anurag Thakur also spoke to Chetan over the phone, asking him to reconsider his decision of contesting elections. Former horticulture minister Narendra Bragta was an ardent supporter of Anurag’s father and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Bragta’s death necessitated elections in Jubbal and Kotkhai. Bragta is largely credited with strengthening the horticulture economy. Besides, he was known for his political acumen. Bragta’s supporters had staged a show of strength in Kaharapathar in Jubbal on Friday and raised slogans against urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj.
Chetan’s supporters are out rightly blaming the urban development minister for the change of choice for ticket at the last moment. Neelam Saraik is considered to be close to Bhardwaj.
Saraik is yet to start campaigning and is expected to do so after Chetan withdraws.
