Kangra a walkover for BJP

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 18

Kangra has pulled off the role of a kingmaker very well this time too. The district's 11 of 15 seats went to the BJP, while the Congress could pocket only three seats. An Independent has also managed to get a seat.

The Congress had won 10 Assembly segments in the district in the last elections.

Kangra district that has 15 segments has kept its tradition of going against the establishment since 1977 when the BJP emerged as a political alternative to the Congress in the state.

Among the losers are Transport Minister GS Bali and Minister for Urban Development Sudhir Sharma. Bali was defeated by his friend-turned-foe Arun Mehra, who joined the BJP this time. Arun Mehra had contested the last elections as an Independent against Bali and lost by about 2,700 votes. However, this time, he joined the BJP and managed to topple his mentor. From Dharamsala, Kishan Kapoor defeated Sudhir Sharma by 2,997 votes. Dissidence cost the Congress heavily in Dharamsala as the party rebels got about 5,000 votes.

Rakesh Pathania, BJP leader from Nurpur, made a comeback after joining the party. He had contested the last elections as an Independent and lost to Congress candidate Ajay Mahajan. He was made to rejoin the BJP by Union Health Minister JP Nadda this time and managed to defeat his arch rival Ajay Mahajan of the Congress by 5,687 votes.

Hoshiar Singh, an Independent, dealt a blow to heavyweights of the Congress and the BJP from Dehra. He defeated former minister Ravinder Singh Ravi of the BJP by 3,914 votes. Rajya Sabha member and senior Congress leader Viplove Thakur managed to get just 8,289 votes and remained distant third.

Both candidates of the BJP, who had flaunted their connections with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lost the elections. Indu Goswami, BJP candidate from Palampur and state president of the BJP Mahila Morcha, got the party ticket against the wishes of BJP stalwart Shanta Kumar. She is considered close to Modi. However, she lost to Congress candidate Ashish Butail by 4,324 votes.

BJP candidate from Fatehpur Kirpal Parmar had openly termed himself as a representative of the Prime Minister. He too lost to Congress candidate Sujjan Singh Pathania by 1,708 votes.

From Kangra, Independent MLA Pawan Kajal who had joined congress, won. He defeated BJP candidate Sanjay Chaudhary by 6,208 votes. It is after about two decades that a sitting candidate has repeated from the Kangra Assembly constituency.

From Shahpur, BJP candidate Sarveen Chaudhary once again benefitted from the division of Congress votes and won the elections by defeating Vijai Singh Mankotia who had contested as Independent. She got 15,936 votes whereas Mankotia polled 16,957 votes and Congress candidate Kewal Singh Pathania polled 12,157 votes.

Old war horse of the BJP Ramesh Dhawala won from Jwalamukhi defeating blue-eyed boy of Virbhadra Singh Sanjay Rattan by 6,464 votes.

Blow to Bali

• Among the losers are Transport Minister GS Bali and Minister for Urban Development Sudhir Sharma. Bali was defeated by his friend-turned-foe Arun Mehra. 
• Mehra had contested the last elections as an Independent against Bali and lost by about 2,700 votes. However, this time, he joined the BJP and managed to topple his mentor. 
• From Dharamsala, Kishan Kapoor defeated Sudhir Sharma by 2,997 votes. Dissidence cost the Congress heavily in Dharamsala as the party rebels got about 5,000 votes.
• Rakesh Pathania, BJP leader from Nurpur, made a comeback after joining the party. He had contested the last elections as an Independent and lost to Congress candidate Ajay Mahajan. He was made to rejoin the BJP by Union Health Minister JP Nadda this time and managed to defeat Ajay Mahajan.

Margin matters 
Highest margin

• Vinod Kumar (BJP) from Nachan (Mandi dist) 15,896 votes
• Inder Singh Gandhi (BJP)  Balh (Mandi) 12,811 votes
• Mulkh Raj (BJP) Baijnath 12,669 votes

Lowest margin

• Jagat Negi (Congress) from Kinnaur 120 votes
• Inder Dutt Lakhanpal  (BJP) Badsar (Hamirpur) 439 votes
• Rajiv Saizal (BJP) Kasauli 442 votes

5 ministers lose

Five of 10 ministers in the Virbhadra Cabinet lost the elections while three ministers —Mukesh Agnihotri, Sujan Singh Pathania and Dhani Ram Shandil — won. 

Successors on Cloud 9

Among the political successors, Assembly Speaker BBL Butail’s son Ashish Butail won from Palampur and CM’s son Vikramaditya Singh from Shimla (Rural). Those who lost include Kaul Singh Thakur’s daughter Champa Thakur from Mandi and Karan Singh’s son Aditya Vikram Singh (Banjar).