Maheshwar’s HLP heads for a split

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 26

Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) that once talked about creating a third political alternative to the Congress and the BJP in the state when it was founded in 2012 is heading for a break-up. One HLP group from Solan, Kangra and Bilaspur has decided to keep the hopes of the third front alive, while “other group led by its president and Kullu legislator Maheshwar Singh has almost made up its mind to merge with the BJP.

There has been a virtual vertical spilt in the HLP after the meeting of its “core group” in Kullu last Saturday. The meeting was convened by Maheshwar Singh to quell the voices of dissent in the party as far as its merger with the BJP was concerned.

In another big blow for Maheshwar Singh yesterday, the state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh approved the creation of the temple trust of Lord Raghunath, the presiding deity of Kullu Dasehra, whose chief representative is Maheshwar Singh and who had been opposing the trust on the ground that the “deity is his private possession”.

Interestingly, his brother and Ayurveda Minister Karan Singh was present in the meeting. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has given a free hand to Karan for running the affairs of Kullu, revealed sources.

Things have come to such a pass that senior founder members of the HLP core group have accused Maheshar Singh of keeping them in dark as to what discussions were held with the senior BJP leaders PK Dhumal and Kangra BJP Lok Sabha MP Shanta Kumar during BJP’s recent executive committee session in Kullu.

“He (Maheshwar) never told us about his talks with the BJP”, disclosed a founder member, adding “It appears he has made up his mind to go back to the BJP. “Maheshwar Singh is supported by HLP leader from Nahan, his campaign manager, Mandi unit member and Shimla unit”, insiders informed.

What prompted Maheshwar Singh to lean towards the BJP is that his son Danvinder Singh, president of Kullu district cricket association, is supporting HP Cricket Association (HPCA) led by Anurag Thakur, now BCCI chief and Hamipur Lok Sabha MP. Anurag is son of PK Dhumal. The recent Dhumal- Maheshwar parleys discussing the HLP merger with the BJP are being viewed against this backdrop”, sources revealed.

On the other hand, one group led by HLP’s general secretary Dharam Chand Guleria and its spokesperson Mahender Sofat are in favour of strengthening the third front in the state. “We will form third front with AAP, the CPM or others, but will not join the BJP”, asserted Sofat.

“We do not approve of the politics of convenience, but we stand by politics of principal that we have committed in 2012 when the HLP was created”, Sofat said.

Even BJP senior leaders, including Mandi Lok Sabha MP Ram Swarup Sharma, former BJP president Jai Ram Thakur, Manali BJP MLA Govind Thakur, local Kullu BJP leader Ram Singh and others have been opposing Maheshwar’s entry into the BJP, revealed BJP sources.

Masheshwar has yet to take a final call. But he refused to make any statement saying, “I do not want to make any comment on any issue”.

Commenting on the imminent breakup of the party, HLP’s general secretary Guleria asserted that the HLP would continue as third force. “We still hope he will make a rethink on joining the BJP”, Guleria said.