New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly attacked the Congress and other regional parties for their dynastic politics, but now the BJP is challenging to stick to its policy of ‘one family, one ticket’ along with keeping the political families happy in Himachal Pradesh. is struggling with. who goes to vote 12 November,
Though the party has been careful not to field more than one member from a family, it seems to have arrived at a compromise formula of sorts. In some instances where he has not given ticket to a sitting MLA to avoid anti-incumbency wave, he has offered ticket to his son, daughter or wife to quell rebellion.
The BJP released its first list of 62 candidates on 19 October and the remaining six the next day. While the party has accommodated several family members of established leaders, it has not named Prem Kumar Dhumal, two-time Chief Minister of Himachal, who is the father of Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
“In the hill state, the size of the constituency is small. Last time Prem Kumar Dhumal lost by only 3,000 votes and Suresh Bhardwaj won by less than 1,000 votes. This is the reason why the party has to accommodate relatives of leaders, where we have received anti-incumbency wave reactions against the sitting MLA,” said a Himachal BJP vice-president who did not wish to be named.
He said that victory is the only criterion in the election. “This is not the time for experiments, so in many places, family members of leaders were fielded, but we have maintained our rule of ‘one family, one ticket’ unlike Congress.”
Political observers agree that the BJP cannot tolerate powerful political families in a jiffy.
Himachal Pradesh University professor Ramesh Kumar said, “No party wants to take the risk of denying ticket to a dynastic politician as it gives them an edge in winning and politics is only about winning, at any cost. ” And applying it on the ground are two different things.
Kumar claimed, “Dynastic politics started in the Congress and regional political parties but the BJP has embraced it wholeheartedly.”
However, despite the party’s strenuous efforts, precarious conditions have arisen in some constituencies.
Read also: ‘Tickets to party hoppers, unfulfilled promises’ – Why BJP is facing rebellion in Himachal Pradesh
a sticky situation
Two descendants of the former royal family of Kullu have given BJP some reason to sweat. While the party had initially nominated former state president Maheshwar Singh from Kullu Sadar seat, the party dropped him earlier this week.
the reason Allegedly It was that Maheshwar could not persuade his son Hiteshwar, who was hoping for a ticket from the BJP, to withdraw his nomination as an independent candidate from the Banjar seat. Both father and son then filed their nominations as independent candidates.
Maheshwar Singh finally agreed to withdraw his nomination papers on Friday, but not before BJP president JP Nadda stepped in. Allegedly, a party chopper The Vice-Chancellor was sent to Kullu on Thursday to bring him to Shimla for the meeting.
However, it is unlikely that Hiteshwar will follow in his father’s footsteps. His wife Vibha Singh, Kullu District Council The member, who met CM Jairam Thakur on her husband’s behalf this week, said that the people of Banjar had waited for Hiteshwar to contest the election.13 years“And he won’t back down.
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hit and miss for women
Another interesting lineage contest is going on in the family of state Jal Shakti Minister Mahendra Singh Thakur, who is the sitting MLA of Dharampur and has won seven elections from the seat.
This time the BJP has fielded his son Rajat Thakur, causing a brief revolt in the family.
When the decision was announced, Mahendra Singh’s daughter Vandana Guleria resigned from the post of General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha on 19 October. tweeted ,Why is the earring of daughters taken every time in familism? (Why is it that the daughter is always sacrificed in family politics.) Since then, however, it seems that she has come around.
In two other cases, the wives have replaced the husbands. BJP has fielded Maya SharmaFrom Barsar, wife of former MLA and current BJP District President Baldev Sharma.
Baldev is a three-time MLA but lost the last two assembly elections. The BJP hopes that his wife, who was twice district BJP Mahila Morcha president and is currently a member of the Mahila Morcha state executive, will be able to defeat sitting Congress MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpal.
In the second case, Neelam Nayyar, wife of sitting BJP MLA from Chamba, Pawan Nayyar, has been given a ticket.
When the list of candidates was released, the party had initially named Indira Kapoor but changed it to Neelam. Allegedly Fearing rebellion with the current MLA and an elder corruption case Against Kapoor
sons and brothers
One of the most controversial candidates the BJP is fielding is Mandi Sadar MLA Anil Sharma, son of late former Union minister Sukh Ram. He has held this seat since 2007. Notably, he was with the Congress until a change of allegiance to the BJP ahead of the 2017 assembly elections. He got the ticket despite suffering from allegations of betrayal.
it was with him Allegedly met Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and reportedly sought tickets for the upcoming elections for herself and her son Aashray Sharma, who had quit the Congress earlier this month and decided to stick to the BJP when no assurances were received .
He was also dropped from the cabinet in 2019 after he refused to campaign for the BJP candidate contesting from Mandi against his son, the then Congress candidate.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Praveen Sharma has filed nomination from Mandi as an independent candidate. accuse Leading the promotion of family politics against the ideology of the party.
Other political people nominated by the party are Anil Dhiman, son of late former education minister Ishwar Das Dhiman from Bhoranj.
His father won six assembly elections till his death in 2016. The party refused to give ticket to Anil after his father’s death but this time Chhote Dhiman intimidated If BJP does not field him, he will contest independently.
As a result, sitting MLA Kamesh Kumari was denied ticket to accommodate him.
Despite his defeat in 2017, the BJP has reposed faith in Rajesh Kashyap, brother of Virendra Kashyap, a two-time MP from Shimla.
Kashyap will once again fight against his father-in-law, sitting Congress MLA Dhani Ram Shandil in Solan.
In Hamirpur, the party has given ticket to Narendra Thakur, son of late Thakur Jagdev Chand, a five-time MLA.
Former minister Kunj Lal Thakur’s son Govind Singh Thakur will once again contest from Manali, a seat he has held since 2007.
Chetan Bragata, former convener of BJP IT cell and son of late MLA and former agriculture minister Narinder Bragata, has been declared the candidate from Jubbal-Kotkhai.
it comes after animate Expelled Last year when he contested as an independent candidate from the seat in a by-election following the death of his father, the sitting MLA. This seat was snatched by Congress’ dynastic Rohit Thakur.
Chetan Bragata was allegedly denied ticket last year to stop dynasty politics, but this time the BJP has relaxed its stand.
Dynasties abundant in Congress list
Late CM Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh is the president of Himachal Congress unit. His son Vikramaditya Singh, the sitting MLA of Shimla Rural, is seeking re-election from the constituency.
Chief whip in the state government and senior Congress leader late Thakur Ram Lal’s grandson Rohit Thakur is contesting from Jubbal-Kotkhai. He had won the seat during the by-election in 2021.
Veteran Congress leader and former Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur is contesting from Darang and his daughter Champa Thakur will once again contest against Anil Sharma in Mandi Sadar.
Congress has also fielded many other candidates including Ajay Mahajan (son of late Sat Mahajan) from Nurpur, Bhavani Pathania (son of late Sujan Singh Pathania) from Fatehpur, Raghuveer Bali (son of late GS Bali) from Nagrota Bagwan. Sudhir Sharma (son of late Pandit Santram) of Dharamsala, Ashish Butel (son of BBL Butail) of Palampur, Ram Kumar Choudhary of Doon (son of Late Lajja Ram), Vinod Sultanpuri (son of late KD Sultanpuri) of Kasauli, Harshvardhan Chauhan Shillai (son of Guman Singh Chauhan), Yadvinder Goma (son of Milkhi Ram Goma) from Jaisingpur, and Vinay Kumar (son of Dr. Prem Singh) from Renuka.
(Edited by Therese Sudeep)