Page 24 - 31MAY2019E

Jolt to
the BJP

Former state BJP chief and
three-time MP Suresh Chan-
del joined Congress recently,
giving a big jolt to the BJP.
Though local Congress leaders
are strongly opposing his join-
ing, Chandel supporters claim
that he will be able to make a
dent in BJP votes. However, a
senior BJP leader in Bilaspur
said that Chandel is out of
mainstream politics for long
time and has no impact on
voters now.

Dhumal to form government in 1998
when he asked three of the MLAs of his
Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) party
to join the BJP so that Congress could
not defect them to form government.
Congress has fielded two new He was thrown out of the Congress
Dad in BJP, faces. In Mandi, ticket has been given when huge money was recovered from
his Mandi house during a raid. After
to Ashrey Sharma, grandson of Sukh
son Cong Ram, who was cabinet minister in the that, he became bitter for Virbhadra
then Narsimha Rao government at
Singh, who was CM. Sukh Ram on few
candidate the Centre. Sukh Ram is considered to occasions alleged that Singh was alleg-
edly behind raids at his residence.
be opponent of former chief minister
Virbhadra Singh. However, now he is With Ashrey getting the Congress
hoping that Virbhadra Singh will sup- ticket from Mandi, things will be little
Perhaps this is happening port his grandson. tough for the BJP in this election, es-
for the first time in the state In Mandi, the BJP has repeated Ram pecially if former chief minister Virb-
politics that father is a BJP MLA Swaroop Sharma, a one time MP. How- hadra Singh supports him. Virbhadra
and son is Congress candidate. ever, Sukh Ram has now joined the Singh has already made elections visits
In Mandi, Anil Sharma till Congress and this may affect the sce- to his constituency. Sukh Ram himself
recently was a minister in the nario on Mandi seat. Sukh Ram is con- enjoys good hold in the region. Mandi
BJP government. However, he sidered to be a tall Brahmin leader in had always been a stronghold of Sukh
was forced to resign after his the region and has strong hold among Ram who have won 14 assembly elec-
son Ashrey joined the Con- the Rajputs. His move of joining Con- tions from Mandi seat besides two Lok
gress and has got party ticket. gress has made the contest interesting Sabha elections. He, however, lost on
Mandi is the district of CM Jai in Mandi. In 2017, Sukh Ram had joined two other occasions.
Ram Thakur. Now Anil Sharma the BJP just a month before the assem- In Kangra Congress has fielded a
is still a MLA in the BJP and son bly elections and BJP won all 10 seats OBC MLA Pawan Kajal. The OBCs are
Ashrey is contesting on Con- in Mandi district. Sukh Ram had joined in large number in the Kangra parlia-
gress ticket in Mandi. It is said the BJP alongwith his minister son Anil mentary constituency. Kajal will be fac-
that Anil is silently supporting Sharma, who was minister in the Con- ing Kishan Kapoor of the BJP, who is a
his son. gress government. minister in the Jai Ram Thakur govern-
Sukh Ram had helped Prem Kumar ment. Kapoor is a Gaddi leader, who are

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