With elections to the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha barely a few months away, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contemplating creating new districts in the state, even as the contentious issue has backfired in the past.
BJP’s top brass, which met in Shimla to discuss strategy for the upcoming Shimla civic polls, also held preliminary discussions on the demand within the party to reorganise districts. Presently, there are 12 districts in the state. The ruling government is contemplating the idea to create five more districts.
State party chief Suresh Kashyap, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, BJP’s co-incharge for party affairs in Himachal Sanjay Tandon, party’s organisational secretary Pawan Rana, and party general secretary Trilok Jamwal were present in the meeting. Plans are afoot to fragment the state’s most politically significant district Kangra, which comprises 15 assembly segments.
“The meeting primarily focussed on municipal corporation elections and other issues related to the party were discussed,” said Sanjay Tandon.
There is a plan to bifurcate Kangra district into four. A section of the party leaders is demanding district status for Nurpur, Palampur and Dehra. This is not the first time that the BJP has come up with an idea to create more districts. Chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP government had also initiated a move to create more districts in Kangra and divide Shimla, but the move was abruptly dropped after opposition from various quarters. Shanta Kumar, who was the first non-Congress chief minister, himself opposed the move to bifurcate Kangra.
{{/usCountry}}There is a plan to bifurcate Kangra district into four. A section of the party leaders is demanding district status for Nurpur, Palampur and Dehra. This is not the first time that the BJP has come up with an idea to create more districts. Chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP government had also initiated a move to create more districts in Kangra and divide Shimla, but the move was abruptly dropped after opposition from various quarters. Shanta Kumar, who was the first non-Congress chief minister, himself opposed the move to bifurcate Kangra.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP has already set up four organisational districts. The move was dropped after it was opposed by Congress and even senior BJP leaders, including former chief minister Shanta Kumar.
The BJP has now set up four organisational districts in Kangra — Dehra, Nurpur, Palampur and Kangra – while the Congress is running its affairs centrally from Kangra.
There is also a proposal to carve one more district, Mahasu, from Shimla district. Mahasu district would comprise constituencies of Theogh, Chopal, Jubbal and Kotkhai Rampur and Ani from the Kullu district, while the government was contemplating to include Pangi in the remote Chamba district to Lahaul and Spiti district. The BJP has already created a separate district organisational unit for Mahasu. There is a proposal to reorganise Kinnaur district. While plans are afoot to fragment Mandi district, there is a proposal to create Sundernagar district. “Discussions are at preliminary stages. The party will discuss the issue with the high command,” said senior BJP leader who was privy to the meeting.
But there is still a divergent view in the party as a section believes that the issue of creating more districts could backfire in the elections, besides the new district will put an extra financial burden on the state.