Rift in Palampur BJP to fore

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 29

Infighting in Palampur BJP came to the fore during the first day of winter sojourn of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in Kangra district.

Sources available here said that when the Chief Minister arrived at Palampur yesterday evening, Indu Goswami had arranged a dinner for him in which a large number of party workers were invited. The dinner was organized in Rajput Bhavan. Goswami had gathered her supporters to welcome the Chief Minister. Though she welcomed the CM there, he did not go to the dinner organized by Indu Goswami.

The Chief Minister, instead, had the dinner at a hotel of the district president of Palampur BJP Vinay Sharma. Indu Goswami did not attend the dinner.

The sources here said that Indu Goswami then lodged a protest with the Chief Minister in the morning regarding he not attending the dinner organized by her.

When contacted, Goswami denied that there were any differences in party. Goswami said that she had not attended the dinner hosted by Vinay Sharma as her daughter was indisposed. Regarding the dinner hosted by her in Rajput Bhavan, she said that it was organized as there was not enough space in the hotel of Vinay Sharma to accommodate all the party workers.

Indu Goswami, the state president of the BJP Mahilla Morcha, had unsuccessfully contested the last Assembly elections from Palampur on party ticket. She had lost to Congress candidate Ashish Butail and she had attributed the loss to the infighting in the BJP.

The former BJP MLA Parveen Sharma, a Shanta Kumar loyalist, had contested as an independent.

Vinay Sharma, president of Palampur district BJP, refused to comment on the controversy.

In Palampur the staunch loyalists of Shanta Kumar have firm hold over the party. However, after being given the party ticket in the last election, Indu Goswami has emerged as another power centre in Palampur BJP.

Today Indu Goswami accompanied the Chief Minister on the official programs organized in the Palampur Assembly constituency.

CM skips dinner hosted by Indu Goswami

When Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur arrived at Palampur on Sunday, party leader Indu Goswami had arranged a dinner for him in Rajput Bhavan. However, the Chief Minister he did not go to the dinner organised by her and instead had the dinner at a hotel of the district president of Palampur BJP Vinay Sharma.