BJP opted for a ‘generational shift’ by picking Thakur

DHUMAL WAS ADVISED TO ISSUE A STATEMENT RULING HIMSELF OUT OF THE CM RACE AND HE AGREED

NEWDELHI: Exhaustive back room negotiations, a series of phone calls between top leaders and the desire to go for a ‘generational shift’ paved the way for BJP choosing Jai Ram Thakur as Himachal Pradesh’s next CM.

The party brass in Delhi had slipped into a state of confusion after its chief minister-face, Prem Kumar Dhumal, lost from Sujanpur. The slogan shouting between Dhumal and Thakur’s supporters in Shimla further compounded their worries.

Dhumal enjoyed majority support among the legislators and two observers of BJP’s Parliamentary Board – Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Singh – got a feel of it during their visit to the hill state. Sources claimed that 25 out of the saffron party’s 44 MLAs had put their weight behind Dhumal.

In Delhi, the BJP central leadership struggled with the idea of appointing Dhumal as the CM after his unexpected loss. “It was difficult to say no to Dhumal (but) we realised that it would have been difficult for him to run the government,” a BJP leader involved in the negotiations told Hindustan Times.

The party finally decided to look beyond the 73-year-old and he was informed of the decision by a Union minister and the BJP high command.

Sources said Dhumal eventually realised his limitation and accepted to move on. He was advised to issue a statement ruling himself out of the CM race and he agreed, they said.

Calls were made between Shimla and Delhi to keep loyalists from different sides under check as the party sought Dhumal’s support to bring about a smooth ‘generational change’.

After Dhumal was out of the race, BJP’s CM choice narrowed down to 57-year-old JP Nadda and 52-year-old Jai Ram Thakur with the party weighing the pros and cons of both the contenders.

The elevation of Union minister Nadda, a Brahmin, may not have gone down well with the state’s dominant Thakur community, the BJP brass viewed. The fact that Nadda represented the party faction that was at odds with Dhumal’s is also believed to have worked against him.

On the other hand, Thakur’s low profile political stature and ability to deal with factionalism along with the fact that he and Dhumal belong to the same caste swung the decision in his favour.

“It soon became clear to us that Thakur was best suited to replace Dhumal,” a BJP leader said.