E-Paper
Himachal BJP seeks report card of ministers, legislators
A three-day review meeting of the party is currently underway at Shimla to assess the government’s efforts in combating the pandemic and plan of action for byelections to Mandi Lok Sabha and Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly seats likely to be held in August
Aiming to win the upcoming bypolls as well as achieve ‘Mission Repeat’ next year, the Himachal Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought report card from its ministers, legislators and leaders to assess their performance in order to chalk out a strategy accordingly.
A three-day review meeting of the party is currently underway at Shimla to assess the government’s efforts in combating the pandemic and plan of action for byelections to Mandi Lok Sabha and Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly seats likely to be held in August, besides the assembly polls next year.
Party sources said the state leadership has sought report card from ministers and the legislators about the work they have done in the last more than three years.
The party leaders, who contested the 2017 assembly elections but lost, have also been told to submit their report card.
Besides, they have been asked to specify plans and goals they have set for their respective constituencies for the remaining 18 months. It has been learnt that the party also discussed the probable candidates for the Mandi Lok Sabha and Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly segments.
Among the candidates in the race for ticket from Mandi are Ajay Rana, Praveen Sharma and Brig Khushal Thakur (retd).
Former MP Kripal Singh Parmar is vying for ticket from Fatehpur assembly segment, while Chetan Bragta and Neelam Sirkaik are front-runners from Jubbal-Kotkhai.
The party has already appointed in-charge and conveners for Mandi and Fatehpur segments. BJP’s core committee on Wednesday appointed Suresh Bhardwaj as the in-charge for Jubbal-Kotkhai, while Rajeev Bindal would be the coordinator.
The Lok Sabha and assembly byelections would be a litmus test for the BJP. The party which was on a winning streak since 2017 suffered a setback in the civic body elections when it lost Palampur and Solan municipal corporations and also fell short of majority in Dharamshala. The only civic body it had a thumping mandate was in Mandi.
Moreover, the party is embroiled in an intense infighting. While a letter bomb against a minister has left party red-faced, the faction owing allegiance to former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has started asserting itself again.
Meanwhile, the BJP has also started planning for the elections to the Shimla municipal corporation. One of the oldest civic bodies in the country would be going to polls next year just ahead of assembly elections.
The Shimla MC is currently ruled by the BJP. Like ministers and legislators, the party has also sought a report card from the councillors of Shimla MC.
Meanwhile, while addressing a press conference, BJP’s chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma said the core committee has reviewed the works done by the party during the pandemic.
He said the party workers distributed ration kits to 9,500 households, meals to 15,190 people and masks to 11.78 lakh. Besides, the party legislators and leaders distributed oximeters and thermometers to Covid patients under ‘Seva Hi Sangathan-2’ programme.
Sharma said the party has decided to continue the programme.
He said June 25 will be observed as a ‘black day’ as emergency was imposed on this day in 1975. Sharma said a virtual meeting of the state working committee will be held on June 30.
