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Politicking picks up in Arki after Virbhadra Singh’s death
Around a dozen leaders met up at Darlaghat and projected Govind Ram Sharma as the BJP candidate for the bypoll; supporters of Virbhadra Singh had recently met both Vikramaditya Singh and his mother Pratibha Singh
Days after veteran Congress leader and former six-time Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh passed away, politicking has picked up in the Arki assembly segment that fell vacant after his death.
Two-time BJP legislator Govind Ram Sharma, who had been denied a ticket during the last election has staked claim to the BJP ticket; while Virbhadra Singh’s loyalists hoping to contest polls from Arki have approached his wife, former Lok Sabha member Pratibha Singh.
Around a dozen leaders met up at Darlaghat under the ambit of Arki Kalyan (Welfare) Society that is known for it biggest cement plant in north India on Sunday and projected Sharma as the BJP candidate for the bypoll. Leaders who pledged their support to Sharma included Zila Parishad members who had rebelled against the saffron party.
Still a loyal soldier: BJP’s Govind Ram Sharma
“I am still a loyal soldier of the party though I was denied a ticket. I have selflessly worked day and night for the BJP,” said Sharma, who called the meeting “non-political”.
The meeting had been convened by Surinder Thakur, a non-gazetted officers’ association leader. “ We had invited people from all walks of life to put forth their views regarding the future political scenario in Arki. Most people supported Sharma,” said Thakur, adding that representatives from 70 panchayats and 350 people participated in the discussion.
Also in attendence were Amar Singh Thakur, a Zila Parishad member and son of former minister Hari Dass, and Asha Parishar, the daughter of former BJP minister Nagin Chandra Pal. Many BJP workers skipped the meeting.
In 2003, Sharma had lost to Congress’s Dharampal Thakur with a narrow margin of 522. Sharma was elected to the assembly in 2007 and then in 2012 but later the BJP denied him a ticket and fielded Ram Rattan Pal Singh against former chief minister Virbhadra Singh. Sharma was neither made chairperson of any board or corporation nor given in a position in the party.
The constituency had attained a high-profile status after being represented by Virbhadra Singh, who had contested elections from Arki rather than Shimla (rural) to make place for his son Vikramaditya Singh, a first-time legislator.
Cong wants to pitch Virbhadra Singh’s wife or son
Supporters of Virbhadra Singh had recently met both Vikramaditya Singh and his mother Pratibha Singh at Padam Palace, Rampur. The delegation had invited Pratibha Singh to contest the Vidhan Sabha elections.
The family was busy performing Virbhadra Singh’s last rites and said they had not decided on a future course of action. A section of Congress leaders want Vikramaditya to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
With bypolls to the Mandi Lok Sabha and three assembly segments of Arki, Jubbal-Kotkhai and Fatehpur due in some time, both parties are weighing their options. The former CM had won the seat by 6,051 votes in the 2017 polls, which was much less than his margin of 19,033 votes from Shimla (rural) in 2012.
