Former Himachal CM Thakur elected leader of BJP legislature party

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, December 25

Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party here today. Although the names of former BJP state president Satpal Satti and Vipin Parmar, the Speaker during the BJP reign, were also doing the rounds for the post, Thakur’s selection turned out to be a quick and smooth process. “His name was proposed by 24 MLAs and was approved soon after,” said Mangal Pandey, former state BJP in-charge. “Jai Ram Thakur did a good job as Chief Minister and the BJP will take on the Congress government in the Assembly under his leadership in the next five years,” said Pandey.

Thakur probably surged ahead of other claimants for the post on the strength of the BJP’s showing in Mandi, his home district, in the Assembly elections. The BJP won nine of the 10 seats in Mandi, besides performing well in the Mandi parliamentary constituency. Besides, he is the senior-most BJP legislator – he’s an undefeated six-time MLA and won by a record margin this time. His smooth elevation as the leader of the legislature party suggests that he continues to be in the good books of the party’s central leadership despite the defeat in the Assembly elections.

Soon after being elected as the party leader, Thakur unleashed a scathing attack on the Congress, mocking it for failing to form its Cabinet two weeks after the swearing-in of the CM and slamming it for closing down hundreds of institutions/offices opened and upgraded by the previous government. “These offices were created and upgraded by the Cabinet, and only the Cabinet can roll back these,” said Thakur. “We have submitted a memorandum to the Governor and requested him to withdraw the decisions, taken with a sense of revenge,” he said. “Within just two weeks, people are already on the road against this government,” he said.