Ahead of state polls, two Congress MLAs join BJP in Himachal Pradesh

Over a month after a former BJP state president switched to the Congress, the saffron party got a shot in the arm on Wednesday with the joining of two sitting MLAs of the opposition party.

Congress MLAs Pawan Kajal and Lakhwinder Rana were inducted into the BJP by Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and state chief Suresh Kashyap at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Twitter @jairamthakurbjp)

In the election year, defections are adding volatility to the bipolar politics of Himachal Pradesh. Over a month after a former BJP state president switched to the Congress, the saffron party got a shot in the arm on Wednesday with the joining of two sitting MLAs of the opposition party.

Congress’s former working president and sitting MLA Pawan Kajal, who represents Kangra seat in the Assembly, and Lakhwinder Rana, MLA from Nalagarh in Solan district, were inducted into the BJP by Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and state chief Suresh Kashyap at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The Congress party had on Tuesday replaced Kajal with Chander Kumar as the working president amid speculations that key leaders were joining the BJP. However, it’s a ‘ghar wapsi’ for both Kajal and Rana as they had switched to the Congress from the saffron party.

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“The joining of two leaders is a big boost to the party. It is evident that the Congress has lost base in the state. Our policies are meant for the welfare of all sections of society. Leaders are realising that the BJP has a vision for the future,” said Thakur at the ceremony.

Thakur said Kajal’s joining was crucial since he is an important OBC leader and a two-time MLA from Kangra. Rana, too, is a two-time MLA from Nalagarh.

Two Independent MLAs—Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra in Kangra, and Prakash Rana from Jogindernagar in Mandi district—had joined the BJP about a month back.

Earlier, former BJP state president Khimi Ram had joined the Congress, along with Indu Verma, wife of late Rakesh Verma who was a three-time MLA from Theog segment in Shimla district.

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