Ramesh Dhawala forms new political outfit ‘Real BJP’
Peeved over his political side-lining, former minister and ex-BJP MLA from Jawalamukhi Assembly constituency in Kangra district Ramesh Dhawala (73) revolted against the BJP and formed a new political outfit named ‘Real BJP’ with his supporters yesterday.
Dhawala, BJP’s prominent OBC leader in Kangra, had contested the last Assembly election unsuccessfully in December 2022 against an Independent candidate Hoshiar Singh from Dehra. He was a four-time BJP MLA and two-time Cabinet Minister in the Prem Kumar Dhumal government. Dhawala had contested and won four Assembly elections from Jawalamukhi and the party fielded him from Dehra in 2022 and lost to the Independent candidate.
Talking to The Tribune on Sunday, Dhawala accused the present state leadership of forcing him to save the dignity of the BJP cadre in the state by raising this new platform in the party. He said he had not resigned from the primary membership of the BJP and the ‘Real BJP’ was a political platform within the party.
“In order to elect Harsh Mahajan, Rajya Sabha member, the party leadership has jeopardized the political career of sitting Congress as well as Independent MLAs and ruined the political future of the party's mass-based leaders in the state,” he lamented. He said the BJP workers and leaders who had spent their whole life for the strengthening of the BJP in the state were upset and frustrated over the anti-cadre decision of the party leadership. “The leaders or workers who have been working in the BJP for the past four decades are real party activists but now outsiders with their vested interests are hijacking the party and this ongoing practice is dismaying the cadre across the state,” he said.
Dhawala said he had appointed Surender Thakur and Choudhary Mani Ram as mandal presidents of his political outfit of Dhaliara and Haripur, respectively. He also indicated that there will be a big meeting on March 25-26, wherein the future strategy of the ‘Real BJP’ will be chalked out. Taking a jibe at the party leadership, Dhawala said the ‘Real BJP’ — a parallel organisation — would get recognition of the people of the state and wholehearted support of the politically neglected BJP cadre and it did not require any recognition of those who had no principles.
