Stage set for high-stakes battle in Dharamshala
: Stage is set for a high-stakes battle between ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress in Dharmashala assembly segment with the filing of nomination papers on Monday.
Apart from the BJP’s Vishal Nehria and Congress’ Vijay Inder Karan, six others, including independent candidates, are in the fray.
While the BJP organised a rally on the occasion, Congress activities remained confined to a local workers’ meet only. Congress candidate Vijay Karan was accompanied by leader of opposition Mukesh Agnhotri and former MP Chander Kumar. However, former minister Sudhir Sharma was conspicuous by his absence. It is worth mentioning that Dharamshala block Congress had proposed Sharma’s name for the byelection but he withdrew at the last moment, forcing the party to hunt for a new face.
Speaking after the nomination filing, Agnihotri said the Congress has always given priority to development and this election would also be fought on local issues.
“Nothing significant has happened in Dharamshala under the current BJP regime and people have made up their mind to vote for Congress,” the Congress leader said.
He, however, downplayed Sudhir Sharma’s absence stating that the leader will join as the campaign builds up. “Sharma is a senior leader and a loyal Congressman,” he said.
Agnihotri also refuted BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti’s claim that Sharma wanted to join the saffron party.
SAFFRON PARTY’S SHOW OF STRENGTH
A battery of senior leaders had descended at Dharmashala for Nehria’s nomination. Those present included veteran leader and former union minister Shanta Kumar, state BJP president Satpal Singh Satti, Kangra MP Kishan Kapoor, deputy speaker of Himachal Vidhan Sabha Hansraj, health minister Vipin Singh Parmar and urban development minister Sarveen Chaudhary.
Addressing the rally after the nominations, Satti said the party has set a target of achieving a lead of more than 20,000 votes in both Dharamshala and Pachhad.
Speaking on the occasion, Shanta Kumar said the party has chosen a young leader to represent Dharamshala and people would make him victorious while Nehria promised to continue the works of the leaders who represented the segment before him.
REBELS TO QUEER PITCH
Though the main contest is between Nehria and Vijay Karan, other contenders are hoping to queer the pitch for both Congress and BJP.
Rakesh Chaudhary, an OBC leader who was associated with the BJP, has rebelled and filed nomination as an independent candidate. He had staked claimed for the BJP ticket, given a large number of OBC population in Dharamshala assembly segment, but the saffron party preferred Nehria over him. Another prominent independent is Puneesh Sharma, son of former Congress legislator Mool Raj Padha. Both Chaudhary and Sharma have the capability of making a dent in the vote bank of their parent parties.
Manohar Lal Dhiman, Subash Chandra Shukla, Nisha Katoch and Chokas Bharadwaj also filed papers as Independent.