Fatehpur seat a prestige issue for BJP

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 27

The Fatehpur byelection has become a prestige issue for the BJP in Kangra district. The BJP is going all out to win the byelection as it can set the tone for the 2022 Assembly elections in Kangra district.

Fatehpur is all set to witness a triangular fight between Congress candidate Bhawani Pathania, BJP nominee Baldev Thakur and Independent candidate Rajan Sushant.

BJP workers campaigning at the booth level reportedly had a hard time convincing people over the issue of price rise. The BJP is also banking on Baldev Thakur, who is a ground-level party worker and has his own vote bank. He fought the 2017 Assembly elections as an Independent candidate and secured around 13,000 votes.

Bhawani Pathania is relying on the legacy of his father Sujan Singh Pathania, whose untimely death necessitated the Fatehpur byelection. He has also been touching the sensitive issue of price rise during campaigning. Congress workers have been playing old videos of BJP leaders protesting against the price rise.

Pathania is also relying on the strong Rajput vote bank in Fatehpur, as his late father was one of the tallest Rajput leaders in Kangra district. CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri has been alleging discrimination against Kangra by the BJP government.

Independent candidate Rajan Sushant, former BJP MP and five-time MLA from Fatehpur, is also a strong contender. He has espoused the agenda of getting the old pension scheme implemented for state government staff in Himachal.