BJP to go slow on graft charges against Himachal Pradesh CM
Assembly elections in the hill state are scheduled by the end of this year and political pundits feel the saffron party could make a comeback.
New Delhi: Apprehending that “excessive attack” could help Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh get sympathy of voters, the BJP state unit has been asked by the high command to go slow on corruption charges against him. Feed-back from ground suggests that the BJP should contest under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership rather than projecting a chief ministerial candidate as factionalism is a major issue in the state unit.
Assembly elections in the hill state are scheduled by the end of this year and political pundits feel the saffron party could make a comeback. Though going without a chief ministerial face could make the electoral race somewhat tricky for the BJP, as Congress has already declared its “Mission Repeat” under Mr Virbhadra Singh’s leadership, saffron poll strategists, sources said, are seriously considering going without a chief ministerial candidate.
Sources disclosed BJP president Amit Shah, who was in the state last week, deliberated with senior leaders on these issues after which cadre was told to target the “Congress government” and its misdeeds more than Mr Virbhadra Singh and the ongoing disproportionate assets case against him.
In case the BJP decides to enter the electoral battle with a chief ministerial candidate, sources said, it would have to be a “credible face” to take on the Congress stalwart. Though Mr Virbhadra Singh’s predecessor and BJP stalwart P.K. Dhumal’s name is doing the round for the CM candidate, he himself is battling corruption charges.
Other than Mr Dhumal, names of Union minister J.P. Nadda, senior leaders Satpal Singh Satti and Jairam Thakur are also doing the rounds for the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP. Also, the party is likely to field many new candidates as compared to the last Assembly elections.