Himachal polls: Infighting grows in BJP after 11 sitting MLAs denied tickets

All is not well in the Himachal Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the ticket allotment for the much-awaited Assembly elections in the hill state.

The fire of discontentment engulfed as many as 14 assembly constituencies as the party has denied tickets to 11 sitting MLAs. Additionally, ticket allotment to two Congress turncoats from Kangra Sadar and Jogindernagar seats has resulted in the BJP adding two more to the list of dissidents.

Sources close to the party said that seven out of the total 11 party MLAs who were not given tickets are loyalists of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Even Dhumal and Union Minister Anurag Thakur’s father-in-law Gulab Singh Thakur were also denied party tickets in the upcoming polls.

The dissidence fueled further after the ticket alloted to Maheshwar Singh from Kullu was suddenly cancelled.

“Prem Kumar Dhumal had crossed the age limit, as he is 78 .The party has fixed the retirement age at 77. Maheshwar Singh’s ticket was cancelled as he failed to pacify his son Hiteshwar Singh, who is contesting election against the party nominee in Banjar,” a senior BJP leader told India Today, requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, Dhumal hopes Captain Ranjit Singh wins election from Sujanpur, which he lost in 2017 to a Congress nominee.

“People have cast their vote and I have been shouldering the responsibility for that during the past five years. I have already made it clear. Captain Ranjit will win the election,” Dhumal said while responding to the media queries.

Four-time MLA and Cabinet minister Suresh Bhardwaj is another prominent BJP leader who has been asked to contest the election from Kasumpatti. He was replaced by a tea seller, Sanjay Sood. Interestingly, Bhardwaj is not even a voter in this constituency.

The saffron party is facing dissidence in 14 assembly constituencies, including Jhanduta, Rohru, Badsar, Chamba, Indora, Dharamshala, Bilaspur Sadar, Mandi Sadar, Sundernagar, Nalagarh, Kinnaur, Fatehpur, Banjar and Kullu. Majority of the sitting MLAs who have been denied tickets have jumped to the fray against party nominees.

The BJP is facing dissidence in half of the assembly constituencies in Mandi and a similar number of constituencies in Kangra. Kangra has 15 constituencies, followed by Mandi which has 10 assembly constituencies. It is often said that the route to form a government in Himachal goes from Kangra district, which has the largest number of constituencies.

Praveen Sharma, who was seeking a ticket from Mandi Sadar, has decided to contest as an Independent candidate. He has also resigned from the state BJP election campaign committee. The party has fielded Anil Sharma from Mandi Sadar constituency. Former Nalagarh MLA KL Thakur and Hamirpur Zila Parishad Vice President Naresh Darji have also challenged the party high command’s decision to give tickets to others. Lakhwinder Rana was fielded from Nalagarh.

Naresh Darji has already moved his nomination as an Independent candidate from Hamirpur after the ticket was given to sitting MLA Narendra Thakur. Maheshwar Singh and his son Hiteshwar Singh have also filed nominations from Kullu and Banjar, respectively.

Supporters of Darang Mandi MLA Jawahar Thakur are also not happy with the ticket allotment. The party has fielded Puran Chand Thakur from this constituency.

“The tickets have been decided by the parliamentary board. Seeking a ticket is the democratic right. The party leaders are in touch with the people who were denied tickets. In many places, people have withdrawn nominations. Efforts are on to convince others,” BJP Spokesperson Karan Nanda said.

Interestingly, infighting is not limited just to the BJP. The rival Congress is somewhere sailing in the same boat with dissidence in 13 assembly constituencies, including Karsog, Jaisinghpur, Arki, Jogindernagar, Nachan, Anni, Theog, Jhanduta, Bilaspur, Chopal, Sulah, Chintpurni and Pachhad.

Polling in Himachal Pradesh will take place on November 12, while the counting of ballots on December 8. The last date for the withdrawal of nomination is October 29.