BJP ‘finalises’ 3 names, list sent to high command
SHIMLA : The top brass of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) went into huddle in the state capital on Tuesday to finalise their nominees for the byelections to two assembly segments--pacchad and Dharamshala, while opposition Congress’s election committee will meet on Wednesday for the same.
The two seats fell vacant on the victory of Kishan Kapoor and Suresh Kashyap in the parliamentary polls.
As the last date of filing nominations (September 31) inches closer, both the parties are struggling to decide on their respective candidates for the byelections which are slated to be held on October 21.
Besides brainstorming on the candidates, BJP’S state election committee, comprising senior leadership, deliberated on its strategy for the bypolls.
“Many candidates are vying for tickets which is a good sign of democracy in the party. There should always be a spirit of competition. It makes is more evident that a common man can also contest elections,” CM Jai Ram Thakur said before heading for the meeting.
All three Lok Sabha members-suresh Kashyap, Kishan Kapoor and Ramswaroop Sharma, state party chief Satpal Singh Satti, party’s organising secretary Pawan Rana and former state BJP chief Kripal Parmar among other leaders were present.
However, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, his son, Union minister Anurag Thakur, were unable to mark presence due to their busy schedule. Earlier in the day, a closed door meeting was also held between former chief minister and veteran BJP leader, Shanta Kumar and Thakur at the latter’s official residence in Oak Over.
TOUGH CALL
Aspirants in the BJP have been making frantic efforts to secure party ticket. The party is facing the ‘problem of plenty’ as history shows that whichever party remains in power wins the byelections. Among the front runners is Umesh Dutt, a former general secretary of ABVP, the student wing of RSS.
Kangra Cooperative Bank chairman Rajiv Bhardwaj and State’s BJP media co-incharge Rakesh Sharma are also in the race. Both are close to former chief minister Shanta Kumar.
Sachin Sharma, an RSS functionary and Vishal Nehria, a local Yuva Morcha leader — who belongs to dominant Gaddi community — are also vying for the ticket.
The party has reportedly finalised three names which will be placed before the high command in Delhi. As per sources, names of Rajeev Bhardwaj, Umesh Dutt and Vishal Neharia figured in the Dharamshala list.