BJP 'ignored' internal surveys, fielded loyalists in Himachal Pradesh

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, December 9

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) pre-poll surveys undertaken to identify strong candidates proved to be a sham, as the party ticket was given on the basis of proximity to senior leaders.

‘SECRET BALLOT’ ANOTHER GIMMICK

Even the secret exercise to cast votes by office-bearers and elected Panchayati Raj representatives just before the BJP candidates’ list was announced proved to be another gimmick as such polls were rigged by the party’s own leaders.

The party suffered an embarrassing drubbing in Solan district, where it failed to even open its account. This is the worst-ever performance of the party in decades. Two of the five candidates from Kasauli and Doon, who had won in the 2017 Assembly elections, failed to retain their seats. This included Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Rajiv Saizal.

Not only were the surveys held before finalising the ticket, but also after the disbursement to determine the strength and weakness of each candidate. The initiative was supposed to help the party put up a strong fight and pitch in additional efforts where candidates were weak.

Successive pre-poll surveys conducted by the Central BJP leadership had revealed that barring the Nalagarh seat, all four segments were weak and the need to replace the old faces was stressed. Former BJP legislator KL Thakur was pegged as the lone candidate who could wrest back the seat. Instead of opting for him, the party threw its weight behind sitting Congress MLA Lakhwinder Rana, who had joined the party days before the model code of conduct was imposed.

Rana not only remained at number three but this hasty step proved counter-productive. KL Thakur contested as an Independent and won the seat with a margin of 13,264 votes while Rana could barely muster 17,273 votes.

Instead of sticking to the findings of its internal survey, the BJP opted to repeat its sitting MLAs from Kasauli and Doon and Solan candidate Rajesh Kashyap, who had contested unsuccessfully in 2017. Two-term former MLA Govind Ram Sharma was also repeated from Arki despite adverse findings of the survey. The party organisation failed to support him and he finished a poor third.

In Sirmaur district too, the story was no different. The party’s internal surveys had clearly asserted the need to field new faces from Nahan, Shillai, Renukaji and Pacchad. Paonta Sahib was reflected as the lone winning seat and it proved to be true. In Pacchad, sitting MLA Reena Kashyap won owing to the presence of Congress rebel GR Musafir. Though a new face was fielded in Renukaji but factionalism played spoilsport and the party lost the seat.

Even the secret exercise to cast votes by office-bearers and elected Panchayati Raj representatives just before the BJP candidates’ list was announced proved to be another gimmick as such polls were rigged by the party’s own leaders.