In an attempt to give final shape to the 2014-poll strategy in Himachal Pradesh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) core group will meet national president Rajnath Singh at Chandigarh and discuss the options of early declaration of candidate.
The core group meet with the party president is scheduled to take place on September 23. A 14-member core group of Himachal Pradesh BJP, led by former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and State president Satpal Singh Satti will meet Singh.
Among the leaders who will be meeting Rajnath Singh are Rajya Sabha member and state in-charge Balbir Punj, former chief minister Shanta Kumar, national general secretary and Rajya Sabha member JP Nadda, former state presidents Suresh Bhardwaj, Jairam Thakur, Khimi Ram Sharma, Suresh Chandel, state general secretaries Randhir Sharma, Rajiv Bindal, Vipin Parmar and state general secretary (organisation) Pawan Rana.
Along with Rajnath Singh, national organisational secretary Ramlal would also attend the meeting. BJP which currently holds three seats out of four parliamentary seats in Himachal, is facing a tough fight from the ruling Congress after the Government change in the State. The three seats which BJP holds currently are Kangra, Hamirpur and Shimla while Mandi seat is with the Congress. BJP has almost made it clear that Kangra MP Rajan Sushant will not be given ticket this time due to his involvement in anti-party activities.
Sushant has also made it clear to the party that if he is denied ticket by the party then he will contest independently in 2014-general election. Party at present is brain storming on a suitable choice for candidate for Kangra seat after Sushant.
A faction of party wants that former chief minister and senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar should be convinced to contest the election from Kangra seat or else it will be tough to win the seat given the fact that 11 of the 15 assembly seats in Kangra is with Congress. BJP is also facing tough situation in Hamirpur which it has retained for the past 16 years. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has already pledged to win back the seat this time from BJP and even central leadership has asked the Congress leadership to focus on Hamirpur.
In Shimla also, BJP is likely to face a tough fight. Shimla was won for the first time by BJP in 2009 from Congress and is the stronghold of the ruling Congress. “Party president will seek feedback from core group and issue directions for the winnability of the seats,” said national general secretary JP Nadda. He said each parliamentary seat in Himachal Pradesh will be discussed in the proposed meeting with the BJP president.