An alarm bell has rung for the nearly two-year old Himachal lokhit Party (HlP) after some top leaders deserted the party to join BJP ahead of general elections, forcing the outfit to rethink its strategy and regroup themselves.
In the past one week several top leaders have deserted the party after the core group led by chief Maheshwar Singh announced that party is not going to merge with BJP nor it will contest the upcoming general elections.
Aiming at strengthening and regrouping of party cadres and leaders, HlP president Maheshwar Singh asked party office-bearers to organise meeting at every districts headquarters and covey the message of leadership to remain united and organised.
HlP has announced its support to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and on Monday once again pledged that party will maintain equal distance from Congress and BJP. Singh said that party has decided to hold meetings at all district headquarters due to the vicious propaganda of HlP's merger to BJP. "BJP is welcoming those people, who had left HlP six months back and propagating it as setback to the HlP," he said.
He said that BJP has failed to accept the fact that HlP had denied their proposal of merger and that's why they are resorting to such propaganda. "HlP is a strong third front in the State and we still maintain equal distance from BJP and Congress," added Singh.
Singh said that party has assigned the responsibilities to its top leaders to hold meeting at all 12 districts and convey the messages of party. Maheshwar Singh will himself start touring the State from March 18 onwards.
Sources said that party has suffered major setback in past one week with some top leaders joining hands with BJP and is now trying to regroup itself amid reports that some more leaders are likely to join the saffron party in coming days.
Some of the top leaders who had joined the BJP recently include Dullu Ram, KD Dharamani and Narendra Parmar. Maheshwar Singh was recently contacted by senior BJP and RSS leaders and was asked to merge his party with BJP and he contests election from Mandi seat.