lok Sabha ticket for former Union Minister and the BJP veteran Shanta Kumar has once again rejuvenated the party in the biggest district Kangra and in the State, where the party suffered a major jolt during Assembly elections due to infighting and rebellion.
Shanta Kumar who had earlier announced his retirement from active politics has at least put some adrenaline into the bloods of party workers who were gradually reducing to minuscule due to infighting and rebellion in different pockets of the district.
Since the announcement by Shanta Kumar himself after a party workers meeting, to contest the election from Kangra parliamentary seat, a month back, it has become clear that the BJP will try to consolidate its base banking on the popularity of its veteran leader. Just weeks after the announcement, rebels Rakesh Pathania from Nurpur Assembly constituency, Sanjay Guleria from Jawali Assembly segment,
Desh Raj from Dehra Assembly segment and Bhupinder Singh Chouhan from Bhatiyat Assembly constituency of Chamba district came into the party fold unconditionally and extended their support to Shanta Kumar. All these rebel leaders have considerable influence in their respective pockets.
State BJP had already declared that sitting BJP MP Rajan Sushant will not be given ticket this time due to his anti-party activities. Sushant has been given ticket from the constituency by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and local units of party are protesting against him for being given the ticket. Ball was always in Shanta Kumar’s court to contest the general elections or not, which he decided after much reluctance. “Naturally, Shanta Kumar is one of the founding members of the BJP in Himachal Pradesh and at Kangra he is a force to reckon with. He has the ability to consolidate the eroding voter base of the BJP, due to special emphasis being laid by the Congress Government on the district with an eye on poll,” said a senior BJP leader.
Another senior leader of BJP pointed out critically that the State leaders from Shanta Kumar camp including former Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor and former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhwala who all have lost the Assembly elections, can now once again gain importance, with the rise of the BJP veteran. “If the BJP comes to power, it is almost certain that Shanta Kumar will be a Union Minister for being the senior most leader in saffron party after the NDA chairman lal Krishan Advani and this would give the much needed impetus to the State leaders of his fold,” said a leader from Kangra.
When contacted, Shanta Kumar said that it was party workers and people of Kangra who wanted me to contest the elections. “I will start my campaigning in the constituency from Saturday from Chamba district,” said Kumar, adding that party deemed fit for him to contest the elections and so the leadership gave him
the ticket. Similarly, in the BJP stronghold Hamirpur parliamentary seat, party is once again rejuvenated with ticket being given to former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s son Anurag Thakur who has off late being charges of committing irregularities at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).
Dhumal and Anurag Thakur have been already putting all their efforts in the constituency and several rounds of meetings have been held despite coming under attack from State Government, which had ordered series of inquiries against both father-son duo. The parliamentary board had also cleared the name for Shimla parliamentary seat and party has put its bet against its sitting MP Virendra Kashyap, who has spend a good lot of time among the people in the constituency and actively raising the people centric issue of the State and Shimla constituency. “He is a people friendly man and one can see him in every small or big gathering of the constituency unlike his predecessors who were high chinned,” said a BJP worker from Shimla.
State BJP Satpal Singh Satti said that decision for Mandi seat will also be made soon and party will ensure that all the four seats are won. “The tickets were given by the parliamentary board on the expected line and after much deliberation the State unit had sent the recommendation of these three names which were announced,” added Satti.