Unity on mind, Nadda calls on ex-CMs Dhumal, Shanta Kumar

In a bid to forge unity and take all factions along, BJP national president and Union Health Minister JP Nadda today called on former chief ministers PK Dhumal and Shanta Kumar at their residences at Samirpur and Palampur.

Nadda, accompanied by state BJP president Rajeev Bindal, who has just been given a third term to lead the party, reached two-time former CM Dhumal’s residence at Samirpur in Hamirpur. Nadda was also accompanied by former Congress leaders and MLA ID Lakhanpal and Rajinder Rana and MLAs Ashish Sharma and Trilok Jamwal as he called on Dhumal.

Later, accompanied by Bindal and Kangra leaders, Nadda called on Shanta Kumar at his residence at Palampur. With both Nadda and Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur throwing their weight behind Bindal, the coming days could see aggressive posturing by Bindal in taking on the Sukhu-led Congress government on various issues.

Nadda, with his stature and sharp political acumen, has emerged as a unifying force for the state BJP with all leaders looking for his patronage and support.

The appointment of Bindal as state BJP president for a third term has brought to fore the new emerging political alignments within the state BJP amidst talk of faction-ridden organisation and senior leaders not seeing eye to eye. Bindal now faces the challenge of forging unity and taking all senior leaders together in the run up to the 2027 Vidhan Sabha elections.

Although the top brass of the BJP like Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, MPs Anurag Thakur, Suresh Kumar, Rajeev Bhardwaj, Indu Goswami, Sikander Kumar were present during the filing of nomination by Bindal, he faces an onerous task of striking balance between various factions. However, one cannot underscore the political acumen and organisational skills of Bindal who, with the strong backing of the RSS and central leadership, would lead the party in the next Assembly elections.

The biggest task he faces is pacifying the disgruntled BJP leaders and cadres who had vehemently opposed the entry of six Congress legislators into the party. With just two of them Sudhir Sharma (Dharamsala) and ID Lakhanpal (Barsar) managing to win after defecting to the BJP, the party will face problems in ticket distribution at the other four places – Lahaul Spiti, Gagret and Chintpurni in Una, Nalagarh and in Dehra where Independent MLA Hoshyar Singh was given the BJP ticket.

In sharp contrast to the BJP, which has chosen Bindal to lead the party in the next Assembly polls, Congress remains undecided with disenchanted cadres and a near absent party organisation at the state, district and block levels.

Himachal Tribune