Shanta Kumar- Tasting his own medicine?

Oct 27,2020

Shanta Kumar the patriarch of BJP in Himachal is getting taste of his own medicine today, feel a lot of political analysts. Shanta Kumar the former Chief Minister of the first non-Congress government and former union cabinet Minister in the Vajpayee government while talking to the media recently stated that it was the people within the party who had conspired against him and his ambitious Project. But analyzing his claim political analysts state that Shanta here, forgets one thing that ‘whatever you sow, so shall one reap’.

They inform that when Shanta Kumar was at the helm of the affairs in the Janta Party and then later the BJP, he too conspired against many leaders within the party. These leaders either had to leave the party or say goodbye to politics, they add. First they state the case of Kanwar Durga Chand who was the also known as the political guru of Shanta Kumar and was Member Parliament when Shanta Kumar became Chief Minister of the State. Chand later also represented Thural Vidhan Sabha constituency as a legislator. Even being termed as political Guru of Shanta later he had to leave the Janta Party and join Congress. Same remained the instance of a close associate of Shanta Kumar, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar who represented Palampur assembly constituency. He was elected Speaker of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Shanta government. Some party insiders tell that Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar was a strong OBC leader and his popularity could not be absorbed by the BJP leader and slowly he too was sidelined. “The allegation of hatching a conspiracy against him yet lies on Shanta Kumar and a few of his close associates,” they added. Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar was a simple, down to earth leader and always defended Shanta Kumar. In 1978 Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar resigned as Speaker to cast a decisive vote for Shanta Kumar government which he won by a single vote. But Shanta Kumar rewarded his close associate Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar by denying the next assembly party ticket. Though later due to the connections of Late Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar with party high-ups he got the ticket but was defeated. Elders from the region remember that a conspiracy was hatched to defeat Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar which hurt the leader who could not take this setback and expired in 1994.

Not only Kangra but founder members and leaders of BJP leaders like Daulat Ram Chauhan from Shimla and Thakur Jagdev Chand from Hamirpur who were close associates of Shanta Kumar met with the same fate, they added. Daulat Ram Chauhan who was continuously winning from Shimla Assembly segment was shifted  to Kotkhai where his winning streak ended. Thakur Jagdev Chand who was tallest the leader in the BJP from Hamirpur also met the same fate as allegedly Shanta brought in Prem Kumar Dhumal to counter him there. Thakur Jagdev Chand was the leader of the opposition when he passed away which made way for Prem Kumar Dhumal who then became the Chief Minister of the State twice.

They state that ‘what can be seen with bare eyes does not need an evidence to support’. Adding that Shanta Kumar is the only leader in the BJP who lost elections twice after being Chief Minister from Sulah. They add that he also lost the MP election from Kangra-Chamba constituency while he was Union Cabinet Minister. Even though today the senior party stalwart is blaming his own party leaders for conspiring against but perhaps the party insiders and political analysts feel, Shanta gets the taste of his medicine, here.