Trouble in Himachal BJP: Denied ticket, some file papers as Independent, many quit

The BJP also announced candidates for the remaining six seats for Himachal Pradesh polls, a day after it declared 62 names for the contest. Of the six, the BJP renominated Maheshwar Singh from Kullu and Ramkumar from Haroli and interchanged seats of Ramesh Dhawala and Ravinder Singh Ravi. This decision angered the supporters of both leaders.

The BJP has denied tickets to 11 of its sitting MLAs, sparking a rebellion. The party’s media co-incharge from Mandi Sadar, Praveen Sharma announced that he will contest as Independent.

Vandana Guleria, the daughter of Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur, resigned as general secretary, BJP Mahila Morcha, after party allotted the ticket from Dharampur to her younger brother. In Nalagarh, BJP’s former MLA K L Thakur filed his nomination as an Independent after the party gave a ticket to Lakhwinder Singh Rana, who recently joined from Congress. In Dharamsala, close to 200 supporters of BJP MLA Vishal Naihariya resigned after party gave a ticket to Rakesh Chaudhary, who quit AAP. In Karsog, BJP has fielded new inductee Deep Ram Kapoor following which several Yuva Morcha office bearers resigned along with their supporters. Even in Aani constituency, hundreds of BJP supporters in the presence of incumbent MLA Kishori Lal resigned to protest the ticket to Left leaning candidate Lokender Kumar.

State BJP chief Suresh Kashyap said the leadership was trying to pacify the angry supporters and leaders.