BJP ex-minister, OBC leader revolts, forms new political outfit
Peeved over his political sidelining, former minister and BJP ex-MLA from Jawalamukhi Assembly constituency in Kangra district Ramesh Dhawala (73) yesterday revolted against the party and formed a new political outfit named ‘Real BJP’ with his supporters.
Dhawala, a prominent BJP’s OBC leader in Kangra district, had contested the last Assembly election unsuccessfully in December 2022 against independent candidate Hoshiar Singh from Dehra. He is a four-time BJP MLA and two-time Cabinet minister in the Prem Kumar Dhumal government. His differences with the party leadership cropped after joining of the BJP by independent MLA Hoshiar Singh after byelections to six Assembly constituencies last year. Dhawala had contested and won four Assembly elections from Jawalamukhi and the party fielded him from Dehra in 2022 and lost to independent candidate.
Talking to The Tribune on Sunday, Dhawala accused the present state leadership of forcing him to raise this new platform in the party to save the dignity of the BJP cadre in the state. He said he had not resigned from the primary membership of the BJP and ‘Real BJP’ was a political platform within the party.
“In order to elect Harsh Mahajan, Rajya Sabha member, the party leadership has jeopardised the political career of sitting Congress as well as independent MLAs and ruined the political future of original BJP’s mass-based leaders in the state,” he lamented.
He said the BJP workers and leaders, who had spent their whole life for strengthening the BJP in the state, were upset and frustrated. “The party leaders or workers, who have been working in the BJP for the past four decades, are real party activists but now outsiders with vested interests have hijacked the party which has bewildered the cadre across the state,” he said.
Dhawala said he had appointed Surender Thakur and Choudhary Mani Ram mandal presidents of his political outfit of Dhaliara and Haripur, respectively, in Dehra subdivision. He also indicated that there will be a meeting on March 25-26, in which the future strategy of the ‘Real BJP’ will be chalked out.
Taking a jibe at the party leadership, Dhawala said the ‘Real BJP’ would get recognition of the people of the state and whole-hearted support of the politically neglected BJP cadre and it did not require any recognition of those who had no principles.
