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Narender Modi, Con- Voters (panchayat member) in 1963 and was
ith rallies addressed
by Prime Minister
considered as one of the tallest leaders
has denied ticket to Shanta Kumar in
gress president Rahul in Himachal Pradesh politics. The BJP
W Gandhi, BJP chief Amit walk Kangra and has fielded his close associ-
Shah and Congress general secretary ate Kishan Kapoor, a Gaddi leader and
Priyanka Gandhi , the hilly state of a minister in the state BJP government.
Himachal is all set for the Lok Sabha The BJP has made two changes
polls, voting for which will be held in terrains this time and also fielded new face in
the last phase on May 19. Main contest Shimla reserve constituency. However,
is between ruling BJP and the Opposi- the biggest news is farewell of Shanta
tion Congress. BJP had won all the four Kumar who ruled this hilly state twice
seats in 2014 elections. Therefore, the of as chief minister and was elected five
polls are being seen as a big challenge times to the Parliament, which includ-
for Jai Ram Thakur, young chief minis- ed his four time stint as member of Lok
After many turns, the election has Himachal
ter of the state to retain all the seats for Sabha. Supporters of Shanta Kumar
his party, the BJP. claim that their leader may be sent to
Rajya Sabha after Lok Sabha elections.
reached in the last phase of the elec- However, it seems that the electoral ca-
tioneering. First, the BJP denied ticket politics reer of Shanta Kumar has ended.
to its stalwart 85-year-old former CM, The party has retained three time
Shanta Kumar. And then former union MP Anurag Thakur, its young face, from
minister Sukh Ram quit BJP to join Con- Hamirpur and Ram Swaroop Sharma,
gress along with his grandson Ashrey one-time MP from Mandi and has
Sharma and also managed Congress With BJP and Congress fielded Kishan Kapoor — a Gaddi lead-
ticket for him. Now Ashrey is contest- well-entrenched in state, er — from Kangra which currently is
ing against one-time MP Ram Swaroop there is hardly any scope represented by Shanta Kumar. Kapoor
Sharma in Mandi, home district of CM is considered to be a loyalist of Shanta
Jai Ram Thakur. for the emergence of a Kumar.
This Lok Sabha elections have finally potential third front, Shanta Kumar had earned strong
bid adieu to Shanta Kumar (85), who reports rakesh rocky criticism when as CM he gave ordered
started his political career as a panch firing on agitating apple farmers in
Tehelka / 31 may 2019 22 www.Tehelka.com
