Hours after the announcement of candidates for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, discontent in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party seems to be rising.
In the Jai Ram Thakur government, MLA and Law Minister Suresh Bhardwaj is unhappy with the change of his seat this time, there is a possibility of trouble in the capital Shimla itself. He has been declared as the candidate from Kasumpti assembly constituency in the list released on Wednesday.
“Bhardwaj ji has told JP Nadda ji that only 20 days are left for campaigning on the new seat. He had done everything from meeting voters to face-to-face marking, from Shimla seat for which he was going to contest,” said a party source.
According to insiders, if the party does not ensure that the rebels will support and not support the BJP candidate, he may withdraw from the election.
Vijay Jyoti, who had earlier contested two elections in 2012 as an independent and in 2017 as a BJP candidate and lost both times to Kasumpty, says she will contest as an independent candidate again. Sources say that this will end the chances of BJP winning that seat.
“If the party does not take back the ticket, I will contest as an independent. I have 5,000 supporters in my place to register their support for me. I have informed the party high command,” Vijay Jyoti said while talking to News18.
He further said that this is an injustice to the people of Kasumpti and also to Minister Bhardwaj. “If the party had given ticket to someone from Kasumpti, it would have been acceptable to us,” he said.
Party sources said those disappointed include former BJP MLA from Nalagarh, KL Thakur, who has announced that he will contest the polls independently after his refusal.
Former Congress leader Rakesh Chaudhary has recently joined BJP in Dharamsala and has got a ticket. Sources said the local BJP unit has expressed displeasure over the rejection of MLA Vishal Nehria.
The BJP has fielded former CPM leader Lokinder Kumar in place of MLA Kishori Lal. Insiders said this has surprised as well as angered many ideological loyalists of the saffron party in the state.
Sources said trouble started in the state unit soon after the party announced the seats. Many of these leaders are also believed to have informed the central BJP leadership about the change and denial of seats.
The challenge for the BJP will be to stop the rebel candidates from filing nominations against the official candidates of the party. If this happens, the saffron party will suffer and may lose many close contests due to vote-cutting by rebels, sources said.
read all Latest Politics News And today’s fresh news Here