HP BJP chief submits report to party bosses
SHIMLA: Two days ahead of counting of votes, Himachal Pradesh’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit chief Suresh Kashyap on Monday submitted a detailed report on feedback from the candidates to the party’s high command in New Delhi.
The BJP had on Sunday gone into huddle in Dharamshala to deliberate on the post-poll scenario in the state and devised its plan.
The feedback report was submitted at the two-day national executive meeting that began at the party’s central office in the capital. Kashyap, along with BJP’S general secretary (organisation) Pawan Rana, party’s in-charge for Himachal affairs Avinash Rai Khanna and his deputy Sanjay Tandon, attended the meeting presided by national president JP Nadda. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took part in the meeting.
Of the total 68 candidates, 54 had attended the BJP’S meeting in Dharamshala.
The leadership had also assessed the possible damage caused to the party candidates by the rebels. There are 21 BJP rebels in the fray.
The party was divided over the rebels as a large majority was averse to seeking their support in case of a fractured verdict in the state.
The party had discussed the winnability aspects of the rebels. It also talked in detail about the extent of damage caused by the Independents and the candidates of other parties. As many as 412 candidates had contested elections in the state of whom, 24 are females.
The BJP and the Indian National Congress are contesting on all 68 assembly constituencies, while the Aam Aadmi Party has pitted its candidates in 67 segments.
Similarly, the Bahujan Samajwadi Party is contesting on 53 seats, the Rashtriya Devbhoomi Party on 29, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on 11, the Himachal Jan Kranti Party on six, Hindu Samaj Party and Swabhiman Party each on three while Himachal Janata Party, Bhartiya Veer Dal, Sainik Samaj Party, Rashtriya Lok Niti Party and Communist Party of India are contesting on one seat each. The number of independent candidates is 99.
The maximum number of 11 candidates in the fray are from the Jogindernagar assembly constituency, while the minimum number of three candidates each were in Churah assembly constituency of Chamba district, Lahaul-spiti and Mandi’s Drang seat.