BJP to field a local from Dharamsala, says Satti

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, September 14

The BJP will field a local candidate in the Dharamsala bypoll. The candidate will be shortlisted by a party committee and selected by the parliamentary board. President of the BJP Satpal Satti said this while addressing a press conference here today.

Satti, responding to queries from mediapersons regarding the probability of an outsider being fielded from Dharamsala, said, “Why the party should bring in an outsider.” The candidate would be among 40,000 party workers, who had been working for the organisation since long, he said.

When asked about the possible candidates, he said it would be discussed by the state election committee and the names of two to three candidates would be forwarded to the parliamentary board that would take the final decision. Satti said they were expecting that the byelections for two Assembly segments to be declared by next week along with the Haryana Assembly elections.

About the infighting in the party and corruption allegations levelled in an anonymous message addressed to former CM Shanta Kumar, Satti said the CM had asked the police to investigate into the matter. If some party leader had any grievance, he or she should raise it at party platform. However, unsubstantiated information on the social media should be probed by the police, he said.

Playing down the spat between former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and CM Jai Ram Thakur over increase in allowances of MLAs, Satti said Dhumal was a very senior leader and had the right to give his advice.

About the alleged discrimination with lower areas, especially Kangra district, Satti said the decision to drop the lower areas from the horticulture development project was being reconsidered by the government.

Satti said the party would contest byelections on the achievements of Union and state governments. The Modi government, in its first 100 days, had abolished Section 370 and banned triple talaq which was discriminatory towards women.

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Bypoll announcement next week likely

The candidate will be shortlisted by committee and selected by parliamentary board

The byelections for two Assembly segments likely to be declared next week along with Haryana election

Government to reconsider dropping lower areas from horticulture mission