With just two weeks to go for the Himachal Pradesh assembly by-elections, the ruling BJP is trying to address the resentment within its ranks. Several senior leaders who were denied ticket for the July 10 bypolls are said to be unhappy with the party. Top BJP leaders have launched a damage control exercise to ensure support from these disgruntled figures.
Vipin Parmar, the sitting MLA from Sullah, along with Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal visited Dehra on Sunday. They met former minister Ramesh Dhawala in an attempt to placate him. Dhawala has openly voiced his displeasure after the party chose Hoshiyar Singh as its candidate from Dehra. In the previous election, Dhawala had lost to Singh by a narrow margin.
Similarly in Hamirpur, former MLA Narinder Thakur and ex-chief parliamentary secretary Urmil Thakur may dent the prospects of the party’s candidate Ashish Sharma. Both Thakur and his sister-in-law had held the seat in the past but were overlooked this time.
The situation is no different in Nalagarh where Lakhwinder Rana, who finished second in 2017, has to be convinced to back the official nominee. Rana was defeated by a BJP rebel who won as an independent.
With rebel factors posing a challenge, the top leadership is trying its best to bring everyone on board. The bypoll results could have wider implications ahead of the next year’s state polls. The party hopes that an eleventh hour rapprochement will help it retain these seats. However, dissidence within remains a concern for the BJP in delivering these crucial wins.
