After loosing the Mandi by-poll with a record margin to Congress candidate Pratibha Singh, Opposition BJP has gone into introspection mode and called a meeting of its office-bearers to assess the loss and formulate the future course of action.
Mandi by-poll has come as a major setback for BJP, months before the 2014 general election. The poll loss has sent alarm bells ringing in the party as despite putting united face in the by-poll, party lost badly by a margin of 1.35 lakh votes.
What is more worrying for the BJP is that out of the 17 assembly segments of Mandi parliamentary constituency, it managed to maintain lead in only one assembly constituency. BJP has five legislators from Mandi parliamentary seats but in four of the seats, it did not manage to maintain the lead despite its MlAs winning six months back.
BJP hoped that its new face Jai Ram Thakur, a youth leader and four-time MlA from Seraj assembly constituency, would at least give a respectable fight to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife and Congress candidate Pratibha Singh but the results came as surprise for many despite the efforts of party leaders.
“Yes, the meeting of office bearers of State BJP and presidents of all frontal organisations have been called to assess the loss and to prepare strategy for the upcoming 2014-lok Sabha polls,” said State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti.
Though BJP claims that it is preparing to win all the four seats for the 2014-lok Sabha polls but in all certainty it will try to retain its two seats Hamirpur and Kangra in which its chances are maximum. Even in the lok Sabha polls, people of the State traditionally vote for the ruling party.
“Kangra seat cannot be taken for granted this time as after several years, the people of Kangra parliamentary constituency voted Congress back to power by sending 10 MlAs from the district as compared to BJP’s three MlAs,” said a senior party official adding that a lot will depend on the choice of candidate plus charisma of party veteran Shanta Kumar.
The July 3, meeting is likely to be attended by former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta Kumar and roadmap for the 2014-lok Sabha election will be prepared.
Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Chief Anurag Thakur and National General Secretary JP Nadda is also likely to attend the meeting.