INDIA VOTES 2024: Mollifying disgruntled leaders in Mandi a tough task for BJP

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, April 4

Mollifying disgruntled BJP leaders in election campaign in favour of BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut is a daunting task for the BJP leadership in Mandi parliamentary constituency. Kangana has already started her election campaign in Mandi district for the last few days.

After the nomination of Kangana as a BJP candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat, several ticket aspirants from the BJP were disappointed over denial of ticket to them. Former MP and veteran BJP leader Maheshwar Singh from Kullu is fuming over the decision of the BJP high command. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur recently held a closed door meeting with him in Kullu which proved futile. Maheshwar Singh refused to clear his stand whether he would campaign in favour of BJP candidate in Kullu district or not. He skipped the party meet in Mandi a few days ago.

Annoyed over denial of ticket, another aspirant and state BJP spokesperson Ajay Rana is also keeping himself away from the party programmes. He skipped the first party meet in Mandi a few days ago, while today again he stayed away from the programme of Kangana at Sundernagar Assembly constituency in Mandi, indicating his resentment against the party leadership.

Several BJP leaders, who were ignored during the last Assembly election in 2022 in allotment of BJP tickets, are also maintaining distance from the programmes of BJP candidate Kangana.

A former BJP MLA from Darang Jawahar Thakur skipped the party programme of Kangana in Darang two days ago. Earlier also, he did not attend the party meet in Mandi.

Similarly, a few other BJP leaders like former Anni MLA Kishori Lal, Hiteshwar Singh, son of BJP leader Maheshwar Singh, former Sarkaghat MLA Col Inder Singh (retired), former Kinnaur MLA Tejwant Singh Negi, Abhishek Thakur, son of veteran BJP leader Roop Singh Thakur, former spokesman of state BJP Parveen Sharma and former BJP state General Secretary Ram Singh, were upset by the party leadership over the high command decision to allot ticket to Kangana. They are looking for an opportunity in this election to “teach the BJP leadership a lesson”.

According to sources, these all disgruntled leaders are mulling sitting together to chalk out a strategy to defeat the BJP candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Apart from the disgruntled BJP leaders, a number of party workers are also surprised by the decision of BJP high command though no one is willing to speak about it openly.

Former Cabinet minister and BJP leader Ram Lal Markanda has already announced his decision to contest the Assembly byelection from Lahaul and Spiti as an independent candidate or on the ticket of another party after nomination of disqualified Congress rebel MLA Ravi Thakur by the BJP.

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