BJP plans roadmap to repeat 2014 Lok Sabha performance

Faced with the uphill task of ensuring victory on all four Lok Sabha seats that the party won in 2014 parliamentary poll, the ruling BJP is sparing no effort to ensure a repeat of its spectacular victory, especially in view of the fact that the party’s performance in the Assembly poll, too, was impressive.

The top brass of the state BJP, in the presence of Central leadership, planned the party’s roadmap here in the state capital to ensure that it retains its hold on all four parliamentary seats. The fact that the party’s own leaders and workers expressed concern over a possible adverse impact of rising petrol-diesel prices has added to the worry of the senior leadership. 

Party sources said though no final decision had so far been taken with regard to the candidates to be fielded, but it is almost certain that former chief minister and Kangra Lok Sabha MP Shanta Kumar would not be contesting. Shanta Kumar after the 2014 Lok Sabha poll had himself indicated that this would be his last electoral battle, but now he is open to the idea of once again jumping into the political arena. However, the Central leadership is now keen that some younger leader must replace him. 

As such, the search for a new face, who could meet the caste permutations, which hold a very strong sway in Kangra, is underway in the party. The possibility of a minister or a sitting MLA being asked to take the plunge cannot be ruled out.

“The feedback received from ministers, MLAs and party workers regarding Shimla MP Virender Kashyap and Mandi MP Ram Swaroop, too, is not very encouraging, but it is too early to decide if changes will be made here as well,” said the sources. As far as Mandi is concerned, party circles feel Ram Swaroop has failed to connect with the people and there is resentment against him. However, he is hoping to romp home on the strength that CM Jai Ram Thakur will ensure that Mandi falls in the BJP’s kitty, with it being his home district. The pressure on the BJP to ensure that not let even one seat slip out of its hand is far greater than before. It is being stressed time and again that if the party could win all four seats while being in opposition, it should be far easier to do so while being in power in the state now. The BJP is also banking on the fact that the Congress remains a divided house with former CM Virbhadra Singh and state Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu not seeing eye to eye.  However, the Congress is eyeing the Kangra and Shimla seats because it feels that the decline in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and the hike in petrol-diesel prices could be played up to encash voters’ support.

The Lok Sabha elections in the state are likely to be a high-pitched battle with BJP being flushed with money, resources and a well synchronised team under the strict watch of Amit Shah.