In a major relief to Himachal Pradesh BJP, party leader JP Nadda managed to retain his position of national general secretary and Anurag Thakur created history in the party by retaining the post of president of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) for second consecutive term. However, veteran party leader Shanta Kumar was dropped from 76 members new team of BJP.
The new team was announced on Sunday by party’s national president Rajnath Singh. Omission of Kumar from the new team has come as a shocker for State BJP unit, but party stands satisfied with the two other leaders finding place in the national arena.
State president Satpal Singh Satti and leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal all hailed the new team and said that party has always given due regard to the small hilly State like Himachal Pradesh with its two leaders finding place in national team. Anurag Thakur is the elder son of former Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal.
It was an occasion of jubilation at Hamirpur BJP office and party workers distributed sweets and ladoos as soon as the announcement of Anurag Thakur retaining the BJYM chief post was announced.
Earlier, there were reports that Anurag Thakur was likely to be replaced by Parvesh Verma, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Saheb Singh Verma for this coveted post.
Sources in the BJP told that proximity of Dhumal with the top leaders of the party; especially Narendra Modi, lK Advani and Sushma Swaraj went in favour of Thakur.
Party insiders also believe that friendship of Dhumal and Modi, since 1993 when Modi was the general secretary of the party and in-charge of the State and Dhumal was the Himachal Pradesh BJP chief is well known.
Setback had though hit the State BJP with the omission of Shanta Kumar from the new team. Kumar, who was in Rajasthan refused to comment on the new team.
Party sources said that omission of Kumar will change the dynamics of party’s politics in the State, where he was considered as tallest leader in the party.