In Kangra, BJP faces revolt in four segments, Congress in one

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, October 25

In Kangra district, the BJP is facing dissidence in Dharamsala, Fatehpur, Kangra and Dehra constituencies while the Congress is plagued with factionalism in the Sullah constituency.

On the last day for filing nomination papers today, Vipin Nehria, district president of the BJP ST Morcha, filed his nomination papers from Dharamsala. Sources said that the Gaddi community, which was unhappy over being denied party ticket to its leader from Dharamsala, has fielded Vipin Nehria against BJP candidate Rakesh Chaudhary.

Gaddi community leaders had represented the Dharamsala seat on BJP ticket since 1985. Sitting MLA Vishal Nehria also belongs to the Gaddi community but the BJP denied him ticket this time and fielded Rakesh Chaudhary.

Besides Vipin Nehria, Anil Chaudhary, BJP block president of Dharamsala, also filed nomination papers as an Independent candidate. So, there are two BJP rebels contesting as Independent candidates from Dharamsala, giving an advantage to Congress candidate Sudhir Sharma.

BJP workers have been protesting the allotment of ticket to Rakesh Chaudhary, who had joined the party in August.

In the Kangra constituency, Kulbash Chaudhary, a zila parishad member of the BJP, has filed nomination papers as an Independent candidate. The sources said that Kulbash Chaudhary has the support of dissident BJP leaders, who are annoyed over the allotment of ticket to Pawan Kajal, Congress MLA who had joined the party two months ago. Kangra BJP leaders, including former MLA Sanjay Chaudhary, have not participated in events organised by Pawan Kajal.

In the Fatehpur constituency, Kirpal Singh Parmar, a former Rajya Sabha member of the BJP, has filed nomination papers as an Independent candidate. He was seeking ticket from the seat but the BJP fielded Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania, who had been shifted from Nurpur. Parmar fighting elections as an Independent candidate may mar Pathania’s poll prospects in Fatehpur.

In the Dehra constituency, MLA Hoshiyar Sigh has again filed nomination papers as an Independent candidate after the BJP denied him ticket. He had joined the BJP in June. He accuses Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Sports Anurag Thakur of being instrumental in the party denying ticket to him. The contest in Dehra has become triangular after Hoshiyar Singh’s entry into the electoral fray.

The Congress is facing dissidence in the Sullah constituency. Former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Jagjivan Pal has filed nomination as an Independent candidate after the Congress denied him from Sullah. The party has fielded Jagdish Singh Sapaiya, a former chairman of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank.