Will Kangra’s division be poll agenda?

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 14

The division of Kangra was on the agenda of the BJP before the last Assembly elections. A strong section in the state BJP was proposing to fragment Kangra district with four districts -- Nurpur, Dehra, Kangra and Palampur. However, the move was resisted by senior BJP leaders from Kangra, including former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar and former MP Rajan Sushant, who was then BJP MP from Kangra.

The BJP lost last Assembly elections. The performance of the party was abysmal in Kangra district with the party winning just three out of 15 Assembly segments in Kangra district. The state BJP leadership was of the view that the party performance would not have been abysmal had new districts been announced before the Assembly elections. The party after Assembly elections created organisational districts of Kangra, Palampur, Nurpur and Dehra to give an impression that it was in favour of creating new districts out of the biggest and most populous district of the state.

About two years ago the Congress also followed the BJP in creating organisational districts out of Kangra. The move was initiated in the HPCC by party president Sukhwinder Sukhu. The move was strongly opposed by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Minister for Transport, Food and Civil Supplies GS Bali. Sukhu, however, prevailed and the Congress created four organisational districts.

Virbhadra Singh has also openly opposed new districts. He has stated that with the advent of information technology there was no need for creating new districts. Since the party has already announced that the Congress is going into the next Assembly elections under the stewardship of Virbhadra Singh, the party is unlikely to announce the division of Kangra district.

The BJP was, however, divided over the issue. Shanta Kumar had openly stated his views against the division of Kangra district. He, however, had mellowed his stance over the issue and issued statements in favour of creating Palampur district.

Other leaders have divergent views. Rakesh Pathania, former MLA from Nurpur who has recently rejoined the BJP, is strongly in favour of creation of Nurpur district. The sources here said he was planning to carry out a campaign to demand the creation of Nurpur district.

Divergent views

• Virbhadra Singh has opposed creating new districts out of Kangra. He has stated that with the advent of information technology there is no need for creating new districts
• Shanta Kumar, the seniormost leader of the BJP, has openly stated his views against the division of Kangra district. He, however, has mellowed his stance and issued statements in favour of creating Palampur district
• Rakesh Pathania, who recently rejoined the BJP, is strongly in favour of creation of Nurpur district
• BJP leaders from Dehra are demanding that their subdivision should be converted into district
• There was strong section in Dharamsala which is against the division of Kangra district.