Cracking the whip on dissenters, the BJP has changed its candidate from Kullu Sadar seat, Maheshwar Singh, after he failed to convince his son to withdraw his candidature as an Independent from an adjoining constituency.
The former state president of BJP, Maheshwar Singh, will now be replaced by Narottam Singh. Though, officially, the BJP is yet to give the reason for the change, but it’s learnt that he has dropped after he failed to convince his son, Hiteshwar, to withdraw as an Independent from the adjoining Banjar assembly seat in Kullu district. Hiteshwar was a contender from Banjar on the BJP ticket but after he was ignored, he chose to contest as an Independent.
The party has been facing dissenting voices after selection of candidates for 10 seats in Kullu and Mandi areas. In the last elections, the BJP had won nine seats of the 10 in Mandi district, while the Congress had failed to win even a single seat. In Kullu district, the BJP had won three seats, while Congress won only one. After the allocation of ticket, the BJP is facing revolt within the party in the districts where four rebels have filed nominations as Independent to challenge the decision of the party.
Apart from Hiteshwar, rebels who are contesting as Independent are Praveen Sharma, former secretary and media in charge of the BJP, from Mandi Sadar, Abhishek Thakur, son of former minister and senior BJP leader Roop Singh Thakur, from Sundernagar, Gyan Chauhan from Nachan. BJP MLA from Anni Kishori Lal and BJP state vice-president from Kullu Ram Singh have also threatened to file nomination papers on October 25.
The party is also facing rebellion against its candidates at Dharampur, Karsog, Jogindernagar and Darang constituencies in Mandi districts. From Dharampur, Vandna Thakur, daughter of Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur has opposed the allocation of ticket to her brother, BJP candidate Rajat Thakur. At Karsog, supporters of BJP MLA Hira Lal have criticised the decision of the party high command to give ticket to a new candidate.
Supporters of former minister and senior BJP leader Gulab Singh Thakur are disappointed in Jogindernagar as the party has given ticket to sitting MLA Prakash Rana, who won the last election as an Independent, while in Darang, BJP MLA Jawahar Thakur defenders are angry after the BJP gave the ticket to Puran Chand Thakur. During the nomination of Puran Chand Thakur, BJP MLA Jawahar Thakur was absent in the BJP rally at Darang.
But the party has chosen to downplay the rebellion claiming that some of them would opt out of the race before the withdrawal date.
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