Demise of Narinder Bragta: Major setback for ruling BJP in Congress bastion

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 6

The untimely demise of senior BJP leader Narinder Bragta, a two-time minister and sitting MLA from Jubbal Kotkhai constituency, has come as a major setback for the party trying to strengthen its roots in upper Shimla region, a traditional Congress bastion.

BJP leader Narinder Bragta laid to rest at native village near Shimla

Another senior BJP leader and three-time MLA from Theog, Rakesh Verma passed away in May 2020 and at present Urban local development minister Suresh Bhardwaj (MLA from Shimla Urban constituency) is the only senior BJP leader from upper Shimla region. The BJP had won Shimla (Urban) and Jubbal Kotkhai and Chopal in 2017. The Congress won the Rampur, Rohroo, Shimla (Rural) and Kusumpti seats while the CPM made inroads by winning the Theog seat.

Former minister Bragta, who won from Shimla in 1998, was elected twice from Jubbal-Kotkhai in 2007 and 2017. Former Congress Chief Minister Ram Lal won nine times from Jubbal-Kotkhai, while Congress stalwart and six- time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was elected twice from this seat. After the exit of Bragta, there is no senior BJP leader to fill the void and it would be hard task for the BJP to win the seat as Rohit Thakur, grandson of Ram Lal, who won twice from this seat in 2003 and 2012, is well entrenched in the constituency and carries the legacy of his grandfather.

However, Bragta’s eldest son, Chetan Bragta is already in active politics and state in-charge of IT cell of the BJP and considered a front-runner for ticket. With the death of Bragta, the effective strength of 68-member house has been reduced to 66 as Fatehpur seat in Kangra district seat is already lying vacant following death of Congress leader Sujan Singh Pathania.

After the demise of BJP stalwart Daulat Ram Chauhan, a four-time MLA, who also hailed from Kotkhai in upper Shimla, there was virtual vacuum in BJP leadership and Bragta had filled the void.