Page 19 - 31OCT2019E
P. 19
politics
ernment’s performance so far has been people have no role in it.
mixed. People have their own opinion Overall, five candidates are in the
about performance of the government. fray in this constituency which falls in
The Opposition Congress has been at- Sirmaur district. Apart from Dayal Pyari
tacking the government anyway. How- (Azad) and Reena Kahsai (BJP), the third
ever, BJP leaders are assuming that the prominent candidate is senior Con-
party candidates will sail through easily gress leader Gangu Ram Musafir. Musa-
on October 21 when people will vote. fir, who had lost two previous elections,
The public was openly with PM Nar- had won seven consecutive elections
endra Modi in the recent Lok Sabha before that. He has not only been a min-
elections. The reason was successfully ister in Congress governments, but has
redeeming “Pulwama and Balakot” for also been the Speaker of the Legislative
politics. Slogan of “Hindutva and hard- Assembly. Others include independent
line nationalism” also played big role in Surendra Kumar Chhinda and Pawan
the elections. Although the BJP wants Kumar.
to encash the abolition of Article 370 Ashish Sikta and Dayal Pyari were
in Jammu and Kashmir, but local issues in the race for tickets from BJP. Their
will play a bigger role in these bypolls. names were included in the panel sent
The omen of the by-election was not to the party highcommand. But party
good for the BJP. As soon as BJP fielded gave the ticket to Reena Kashyap. This
Reena Kashyap in Pachad (reserved) led Sikta and Dayal becoming rebels
seat in Solan district, the party leader and Dayal Payari is still in the fray.
Dayal Pyari and Ashish Sikta were The truth is that she has made contest
angered. Both of them filed nomina- We won earlier, we triangular.
tion as rebels. Sikta, however withdrew, While talking to Tehelka corre-
Dayal Pyari continues to be in the fray. will win again. Every spondent Dayal Pyari said, “The party
Dayal Pyari has the capacity to attempt was made has behaved in a dictatorship manner.
troube the BJP because she has won the Some leaders were conspiring to get
Zilla Parishad election three times from to convince the rebel me out of the BJP. I was constantly pres-
Pachhad. She was once the chairperson surised to withdraw the ticket, but my
of the Zilla Parishad. Even more inter- candidates, however supporters and the people of the area
esting is that she emerged victorious they are still in the want me in the fray. The public is with
from different wards each time, which me and the BJP candidates is going to
shows her popularity in the area. fray but it hardly lose in this election.’’
She had won the election from matters for us. In a Suresh Kashyap of BJP won this seat
Bagh-Pashoga for the first time and the for the last two consecutive elections.
second time from Narag. Presently, she democracy everyone Seeing the hold of BJP’s Suresh Kashy-
is Zilla Parishad member from Bagh- has the right to ap, the BJP fielded him in the Lok Sabha
Pashog. The hold in her area can also elections in May and he won by a huge
be gauged from the fact that even when contest elections, margin. BJP is now stuck in a thrilling
there was a Congress government in they are following contest on the seat he vacated after
the state, she was elected the President winning the Lok Sabha election.
of the Zilla Parishad on a BJP ticket. Vis- their right. What will Remember, in the 2012 assembly
iting the area shows that she has good be the outcome in the elections, Suresh Kashyap and Musafir
influence in about 30 panchayats and had a stiff fight, in which Suresh won
the sympathy of the people also seems by-elections will be a by a relatively narrow margin — 2805
to be associated with her. votes. In 2017 assembly elections Suresh
On the day of nomination, a video matter to be seen, but Kashyap secured 30243 votes, while
clip of her also became viral, in which the party has come Gangu Ram Musafir got 23818 votes.
some people are allegedly forcing Dayal Suresh’s difference increased to 6427.
Pyari into a jeep. Dayal Pyari supporters to the polls with full However, it also cannot be called a huge
alleged that there was a conspiracy to force. BJP will win difference.
prevent her from filing the nomination If Dayal Pyari succeeds in dividing
papers. Obviously this charge is on the both seats BJP votes, it may get problematic for
BJP, although the BJP says that the party — Jairam thakur, chief Minister the BJP. Many feel that Dyal Pyari has
Tehelka / 31 october 2019 19 www.Tehelka.com
