Why a saleable Dhumal lost from Sujanpur

almost two decades, Prem Kumar Dhumal, the former two-time chief minister, has remained the most saleable face of the BJP in the tiny hillstate of Himachal Pradesh.

However, this election dealt a severe blow to the veteran leader as he lost to his one-time protégé, Congress’ Rajinder Singh Rana, from Sujanpur assembly segment of Hamirpur district.

Political analysts say there were several reasons for Dhumal’s defeat. First, shifting him from his Hamirpur stronghold to Sujanpur assembly segment was itself a bad move. Dhumal was not too keen on contesting from Sujanpur but had to bow to the party’s decision. The party realised that its position was weak in Sujanpur and that Dhumal could counter Rana’s influence.

“While Dhumal enjoyed a good rapport with the people of Hamirpur, the situation was different in Sujanpur,” said a party leader on condition of anonymity, adding that the party was to be blamed for this loss.

Secondly, Rana has over the year built a strong support base in Sujanpur. He remains in touch with his electorates while Dhumal lacked that public connect.

Rana holds sway in the villages, where he has worked as a social worker helping the poor and needy.

Thirdly, Rana’s campaign strategy was focused on the development work carried out by him.

“He was also able to convey the message among the electorate that Dhumal always ignored Sujanpur when he was chief minister,” said Arvind Sharma, a political analyst.

Dhumal, in his last term as chief minister, had refused to open a sub-divisional office at Sujanpur, which Rana managed during the Congress regime and the saffron brigade failed to counter this campaign, adds Sharma.

Dhumal has accepted that the party failed to take the people of Sujanpur into confidence.

“There must be some shortcomings on our part. We failed to take into confidence people of this assembly segment,” said Dhumal after the declaration of results.

“This not a time to blame anyone but for introspection,” he added.

Dhumal was the party’s surprise pick for the chief ministerial candidate in 1988 when the BJP formed government with support from Sukhram’s Himachal Vikas Congress.

He was re-elected in 2003 and again in 2007, when he served his second term as chief minister. In 2012, Dhumal shifted to Hamirpur assembly segment as his constituency Bamsan was merged in the delimitation exercise.

DHARAMSHALA:For