Leaving no stone unearthed

With Lok Sabha polling dates nearing now the Vidhan Sabha bye election ticket probable from Dharamshala and Kangra are not leaving any stone unearthed to ensure victory for their candidates, so that they can get their opportunity. Bye election after the outcome of the Kangra-Chamba Loksabha constituency is inevitable as the ruling BJP has fielded sitting legislator and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kishan Kapoor from Dharamshala and Congress has Pawan Kajal a sitting legislature from Kangra. It is definite that either Dharamshala or Kangra will go for polls to elect its new legislature in six months after declaration of result of Lok Sabha polls.

Dharamshala and Kangra has long list of probables. If Kishan Kapoor of the BJP becomes Member Parliament then he has to vacate the seat at Dharamshala. Not only that a MLA berth becomes empty but even a ministerial position at HP Vidhan Sabha would have to be refilled. As from the insider of the BJP there are more than a dozen contenders for this seat.   Shashvat Kapoor son of the BJP candidate Kishan Kapoor is considered an option depending upon the negotiations made by his father with the high Command before contesting the Loksabha Election. However critics state that the one thing that can go against Shashvat Kapoor is that BJP does not support ‘Family Politics’ or ‘Vanshvad’.  Another name doing the rounds among the BJP workers is that of Umesh Dutt who is from Palampur Constituency and remained General Secretary of the National ABVP. Umesh Dutt has a good say in the party and has strong link with the top brass of ABVP and RSS in Delhi. He is the son in law of a top functionary in RSS who is in charge of Uttar Pradesh and is considered close to Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Naddha. The only thing that goes against Umesh Dutt is the ‘outsider’ tag. Third name that can be strongly forwarded by the sitting legislature is of prominent Gaddi leader Onkar Nehria who by his effective planning became the Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation Dharamshala. The MC Dharamshala is dominated by Congress. Out of the seventeen seats Congress had fourteen seats yet Onkar Nehria managed to become Deputy Mayor, thus proving his political credentials. But his closeness with the Urban Development minister Sarveen Chaudhary can a hurdle. Chaudhary does not see eye to an eye with current MLA Kishan Kapoor.

On the other side the Congress party is likely to bank upon Sudhir Sharma on the Dharamshala seat. Though, political analysts state that if Kishan Kapoor gets lead from Dharamshala in the Loksabha elections then it might become tough for Sudhir to claim his ticket. The other factor that could go against Sudhir Sharma is that rather believing the Congress organization at Dharamshala he likes to work with his handpicked few workers who have no say in the constituency. Therefore the party cadre disliking his way of functioning could make conditions tough for him. In case Sudhir Sharma opts out of the poll fray then he might forward the name of Devinder Jaggi, who is Mayor of Dharamshala.

Talking about Kangra constituency in case Pawan Kajal makes it to the Parliament then again depending upon the negotiations with the Congress High Command his wife could be fielded from Kangra. The other leader from Kangra Surinder Kaku who was once a legislator of Congress could have been a suitable choice but has recently joined BJP, making it easier for former transport minister G.S Bali to promote his son Raghubir Bali for the Congress ticket.

On the other hand for the BJP it can be either Sanjay Chaudhary who won from BSP and later joined BJP and is presently President of District Kangra BJP. If any change in ticket allocation is speculated by saffron then Surinder Kaku who recently joined BJP could become an option.

Other prominent figure eyeing the ticket from the BJP is Uttam Chaudhary who is the State President of the OBC’s in BJP and is considered close to senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar. But his emergence would only depend on the stance taken by Shanta Kumar.