Hoshiar Singh's entry likely to spur resentment in BJP

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, June 14

The BJP and the Congress are likely to face resentment from ticket aspirants in the Dehra Assembly constituency, which was once represented by former Rajya Sabha member Viplove Thakur. The induction of Dehra Independent MLA Hoshiar Singh into the BJP and Rajesh Sharma into the Congress is likely to upset the game plan of ticket aspirants.

At loggerheads

• The BJP is likely to face resentment within the party if it decides to field Hoshiar Singh from Dehra
• Hoshiar Singh and the Dehra unit of the BJP have been at loggerheads for the past four years

BJP candidate Ravinder Ravi had won the seat in 2012 but people voted for Independent candidate Hoshiar Singh in 2017. Hoshiar Singh defeated BJP candidate Ravinder Ravi. Now, Hoshiar Singh has joined the BJP and is expected to get the party ticket.

Rajesh Sharma, newly appointed treasurer of the Congress, has started campaigning in Dehra. He had twice unsuccessfully contested from Kangra as an Independent candidate. However, this time, he is planning to contest on the Congress ticket from Dehra. However, Sharma’s political activities have not gone well with supporters of Viplove Thakur. Recently, an office-bearer of Dehra block was expelled from the party for allegedly supporting him.

Sources say that Viplove Thakur has made it clear to Sharma that she will support her loyalist and president of the Dehra block Hari Om Sharma. However, Sharma has the support of other senior leaders, who feel that he can give a fight to the BJP. CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, while addressing Congress workers in Dharamsala on June 9, had declared that merit and winnability would be the criteria for ticket.

Sharma, who is the owner of Balaji Hospital in Kangra, has started contacting people in the area by organising medical camps.

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