SHIMLA, JAN 21: Alarmed over a revolt in the Himachal Pradesh unit of the party following distribution of tickets, the Bharatiya Janata Party high command today took a major decision to field former MP and State party president Prem Kumar Dhumal for the Assembly elections. He has also been asked to lead the party in the elections.The decision came after former chief minister Shanta Kumar declined to contest from the Assembly constituency of Palampur instead of the Kangra parliamentary seat. Shanta Kumar expressed his total reluctance to lead the party in the Assembly elections in view of the ``mess'' created by the rival camp. ``It is too late for me to rectify the wrongs and also bring the party to power in the State,'' he told party president LK Advani in New Delhi today. This is being perceived as a setback to the party.On the other hand, Dhumal asked for the party's permission to contest for the Assembly from Bamson instead of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. The request was conceded. In his place, a lightweight, Suresh Chandel, who is the party's organising secretary in Himachal, was declared as the party nominee to face sitting MP Major General (Rtd) Vikram Singh. Chandel's choice has surprised many. ``The Congress seems to have been offered the seat on a platter,'' a BJP member in the dissolved Assembly observed. The decisions were taken at a review meeting of the party convened at Delhi for finding a solution to the revolt in the party unit. When contacted at Himachal Bhawan, both Shanta and Dhumal refused to give details of the meeting although Dhumal hinted that his request to allow him to contest from Bamson was considered by the high command. ``I am not authorised to make any statement pertaining to the polls,'' Dhumal said.Party sources confirmed that the party had declined to make any change in the allotment of tickets; Shanta is understood to have asked for at least 11 changes.Party president Advani, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and party in-charge for Himachal Narinder Modi tried to persuade Shanta to lead the party for the Assembly polls.Senior party leaders were keen to rope him in since his influence over the party cadre as compared to Dhumal is much more. But after he refused, Dhumal was left as the only choice since neither Kishori Lal nor J P Nadda would have been able to provide leadership.Dhumal had two days back got a resolution adopted by a mandal unit of Hamirpur district proposing his name for the Bamson seat. Kishori Lal, on the other hand, himself faces a revolt in Bhatiyat, where he had shifted from Chamba this time.
