Beginning of a new era for HP BJP: Shanta

DHARAMSHALA: Veteran leader and Kangra MP Shanta Kumar has termed the elevation of 52-yearold Jairam Thakur to the post of chief minister as the “start of a new era in Himachal BJP”.

“The party has created a sort of history by handing over the reins to young leadership in Himachal Pradesh,” said Shanta Kumar in a statement issued here.

“The hill state has seen chief ministers from three parliamentary segments Shimla, Kangra and Hamirpur so far. It is for the first time in 70 years that a leader from Mandi has been given the responsibility of a chief minister,” the veteran leader said. “I congratulate Jairam and expect that being a young leader, he works for welfare of people of the state,” he said. Shanta Kumar had been in favour of making Jairam the chief minister after the party’s pre-poll CM face Prem Kumar Dhumal lost from Sujanpur assembly segment.

DHUMAL’S DEFEAT

Union health minister Jagat Parkash Nadda was being considered the front-runner for the post. Nadda, who has the ears of the party’s national president Amit Shah, was seen as the party’s obvious choice for the top job. However, fearing defeat, the party changed its game plan during elections and ten days ahead of the polling day, projected Prem Kumar Dhumal as its CM face.

The party won 44 of the total 68 seats but Dhumal and state party chief Satpal Singh Satti's suffered an unexpected defeat from their respective constituencies, forcing the party to ponder over its next chief ministerial candidate.

Jai Ram Thakur emerged as the front-runner along with health minister Jagat Parkash Nadda, while the names of another senior legislator Suresh Bhardwaj did the rounds.

RSS BACKGROUND

What really turned things in favour of Thakur is seemingly his strong RSS background. Thakur had also served as the organisational secretary of Jammu and Kashmir in 1990.The sangh favoured Thakur and had overtly conveyed its choice. Jai Ram, a

MASSIVE MANDATE FROM MANDI

The massive mandate to the saffron party in Mandi district was one of the things that went in Jai Ram’s favour. The BJP won nine out of the ten seats. In Mandi, the party secured 13 seats. Former telecom minister Sukhram and his son, former rural development minister Anil Sharma’s switching over to BJP also favoured the party.

UPPER CASTE’S DOMINANCE

The politics in the hill state has been dominated by upper castes— Rajput and Brahmins— who have a large vote share in the state. They were in favour of Thakur. The Rajput community has been dominating Himachal Pradesh politics since the first elections in 1965. Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, the first CM of the state who ruled for four consecutive terms, was also a Rajput. Out of the five CMS that Himachal has seen, four were Rajputs.

Virbhadra Singh, who has served six terms and 22 years, is a Rajput. Thakur Ram Lal and Prem Kumar Dhumal too belong to this community.

BJP’S Shanta Kumar, who led the state twice from 1977 to 1980 and 1990 to 1992, was the only Brahmin to reach this post. Rajputs have a considerable population in almost all assembly segments and a stronghold over Mandi, Shimla, Kullu, Hamirpur and parts of Kangra. Rajput comprises 37.5% of the population in Himachal.