BJP plans conclaves at Hamirpur, Mandi

SHIMLA: After holding “Tridev” conclaves at Solan and Palampur, the BJP has planned conclaves for Hamirpur and Mandi to be addressed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari to galvanise the party at the grassroots level ahead of the Assembly polls.

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 21

After holding “Tridev” conclaves at Solan and Palampur, the BJP has planned conclaves for Hamirpur and Mandi to be addressed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of Road, Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari to galvanise the party at the grassroots level ahead of the Assembly polls.

The core committee of the state BJP, which met here after the appointment of Mangal Pandey as new in-charge for party affairs, discussed to make arrangements for twin conclaves to be held on June 4 (Hamirpur) and June 11 (Kullu).

The core group also discussed the tour of Mangal Pandey, who is slated to visit Kangra, Chamba, Nurpur, Palampur and Mandi organisational districts in the first week of June.

Pandey will interact with party cadres to get the feedback for chalking out a strategy for impressive comeback in Kangra district. The party also discussed the Shimla municipal polls and decided to go all out to capture the prestigious civic body for the first time in the past 31 years.

A meeting of in-charge and co-in-charge of all 34 municipal wards, presided by state party chief Satpal Singh Satti, was also held and Pandey asked party leaders to ensure the victory in the SMC polls.

“The faith of people in the BJP has been strengthened due to progressive policies of the Modi government and the workers should make the best use of this positive atmosphere and upsurge in favour of the BJP,” Satti added.

Shastri rejoins BJP

Former Himachal Speaker and minister Radha Raman Shastri has rejoined the BJP after a gap of five years. The septuagenarian leader joined the BJP at the party headquarters in the presence of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, state party chief Satpal Singh Satti, in-charge of party affairs Mangal Pandey and other senior leaders.

The “home coming” of Shastri (74) is part of the strategy to win back the estranged leaders ahead of the Assembly polls and party sources said more leaders, including some MLAs, might also come back into party fold.

Shastri was elected to the state Assembly for the first time in 1977 as Janta Party candidate from the Chopal constituency in Shimla district and also remained Chairman of the State Tourism Development Corporation. He was reelected as MLA from Chopal as BJP candidate and was elected Speaker. Later, he was inducted in the Cabinet headed by Shanta Kumar and served as Education Minister.

He left the BJP in early 2012 after being sidelined by the party and later joined the NCP ahead of the 2012 polls.