U-turn on parivarvad, BJP fields minister's son from Dharampur
Pratibha Chauhan
Shimla, October 19
The BJP has done a U-turn on the issue of parivarvad (dynastic politics) by giving ticket to the sons of an incumbent Cabinet minister and two former BJP leaders for the forthcoming Assembly elections.
The BJP today fielded Rajat Thakur, son of Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh, from Dharampur, Chetan Bragta, son of former minister Narinder Bragta, from Jubbal-Kotkhai and Anil Dhiman, son of former minister ID Dhiman, from Bhoranj. BJP’s Mandi Sadar candidate Anil Sharma is the son of a former Union Telecommunication Minister, Sukh Ram.
The BJP issued the first list of 62 candidates today after overnight deliberations. There is also possibility that the BJP may field Hiteshwar Singh, son of former party president Maheshwar Singh, from Kullu.
The BJP had denied ticket to Chetan from Jubbal-Kotkhai for the 2021 Assembly byelections that were necessitated following the demise of his father Narinder Bragta, who was Horticulture Minister then. He was the most formidable candidate and could have got sympathy votes but was still denied ticket on the ground of the party’s stand on dynastic politics.
An agitated Chetan had fought the byelections as an Independent candidate. He lost the byelections but proved his mettle, as BJP candidate Neelam lost her security deposit.
Mahender Singh was keen to ensure that his son makes electoral debut this time and the party obliged him. Both his son Rajat and daughter Vandana Gularia wanted to fight Assembly elections but he chose Rajat as his successor.
