Setback for Congress, two MLAs join BJP in Himachal

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, August 17

The Congress suffered a setback today, as its Kangra MLA Pawan Kajal and Nalagarh MLA Lakhwinder Rana joined the BJP in Delhi. They were reportedly upset with the state Congress leadership for promoting a parallel leadership in their Assembly constituencies to destabilise them.

Both Kajal and Rana are two-time MLAs; they had won their first elections as Independent candidates. They had switched sides and fought the last Assembly elections as Congress candidates after the BJP denied them ticket. The AICC had appointed Kajal as a Congress working president to woo the OBC community he belongs to.

In fact, the Congress had discussed the issue of possible defections in its core group meeting in the presence of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Sachin Pilot and state in-charge Rajeev Shukla earlier this month. Some senior leaders, including Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, had expressed apprehension that some MLAs could leave the Congress if parallel leadership was nurtured in their constituencies and also ticket was assured to them.

It was amid this speculation that the Congress central leadership removed Kajal from the post of working president late last night. Rana in fact criticised the Congress for dynastic politics after joining the BJP.

As the Assembly elections are nearing, there is speculation that some more Congress MLAs may join the BJP. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had given a hint that the Congress would suffer a setback in the coming days as many of its legislators were keen to join the BJP. The two MLAs had joined the BJP at a time when the Congress was hoping to return to power in Himachal.

Two Independent MLAs, Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra in Kangra and Prakash Rana from Jogindernagar in Mandi district, had joined the BJP a month ago.

Defections in both BJP and Congress cannot be ruled out. Mandi Sadar MLA Anil Sharma, son of former Telecommunication Minister Sukh Ram, could return to the Congress, as the BJP had alienated him after his son Ashray Sharma contested the Mandi Lok Sabha elections in 2019 on the Congress ticket.

Also, there is speculation that some BJP leaders, including a minister, may join the Congress, as they want their sons to fight the forthcoming Assembly elections and the ruling party is unlikely to give them ticket, considering its stand against dynastic politics.