Five-term former MLA was nurturing CM ambitions in 2027
Sunil Chadha
Shimla:
When everything seemed to be aligning perfectly for Himachal Pradesh BJP president Dr Rajeev Bindal in the build-up to the 2027 Assembly elections, a storm from within his own household has brought an unexpected jolt to his political ambitions.
A rape case filed against his brother, Ram Kumar Bindal, has not only cast a shadow on his carefully built image but has also rattled the BJP’s strategy, which had so far outpaced a nearly dysfunctional Congress.
The timing could not have been worse. With Bihar headed into elections in November and BJP national leadership looking to project a unified and morally upright image, the Bindal family’s legal entanglement risks providing ammunition to the opposition.
For Dr Bindal — a five-time MLA, former Health Minister, Speaker, and presently on his third term as BJP state president — the case against his brother could prove to be a personal and political setback.
From strategist-in-chief to embattled leader
Until the registration of the rape case against his brother, Bindal was riding high. In August, he unveiled a finely tuned state party structure aimed at consolidating regional, caste and factional representation — a masterstroke that many credited with reinvigorating the Himachal BJP after its 2022 loss. Political insiders hailed his ability to outmanoeuvre stalwarts like Jai Ram Thakur and Anurag Thakur to retain his grip on the state unit, a feat that underscored his rising clout in Delhi.
In fact, Bindal was seen as a frontrunner for the BJP’s chief ministerial face in 2027, especially given the party’s tradition of projecting fresh leadership and the high anti-incumbency odds against the Congress government. His Chanakya-like orchestration of the BJP’s state machinery had put the party in pole position, especially as the ruling Congress, nine months after dissolving its organisational setup, is yet to announce a fresh executive committee.
But with the legal scandal now dominating headlines, that political capital is fast eroding. Even though Dr Bindal is not named in the case, the mere association — a close blood relative accused of a heinous crime — may be enough to derail his political ascent, says an analyst.
Bindal now new to controversies
This isn’t the first time controversy has threatened to derail Bindal’s political journey. In 2020, he was forced to resign as Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha after an audio clip in a corruption case involving a senior health official went viral during the Covid pandemic.
While he was never formally implicated, the political heat forced him to step down, a move he justified as a gesture of “moral responsibility.”
However, Bindal bounced back, handpicked by BJP national president JP Nadda to lead the state unit again in 2023. His return was seen as both a sign of Delhi’s trust and a signal that Bindal had effectively cleared his name and rebuilt his influence.
But this latest development — a criminal case of rape involving a close family member — is a far more serious moral and political crisis, one that cannot be shrugged off as easily, says the analyst.
BJP on defensive as opposition senses blood
The Congress, still licking its wounds from internal rifts between Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and state Congress president Pratibha Singh, has suddenly found its voice. While official statements remain cautious, Congress leaders privately acknowledge that the issue could hand them a rare narrative advantage before Himachal panchayat elections: to question the BJP’s moral high ground and its claims of good governance.
Moreover, with the Bihar elections just weeks away, the central BJP leadership faces the challenge of managing optics. The rape case could be weaponised by opposition parties at the national level, particularly in a political environment where law and order and women’s safety are increasingly central themes.
One of the biggest casualties of this scandal could be Bindal’s unspoken but widely acknowledged ambition to be projected as the BJP’s chief ministerial face in 2027. Until now, he had the advantage of experience, organisational acumen and backing from JP Nadda. But in the shadow of a criminal case involving his brother, his name may become politically inconvenient.
Party strategists, always risk-averse ahead of major elections, may now lean toward a safer alternative — someone untainted, even if less dynamic. This could reopen the door for leaders like Jai Ram Thakur or even elevate former Union Minister Anurag Thakur in the race for leadership in Himachal.
Bindal had earlier spearheaded a series of events like the Tiranga Yatra after Operation Sindoor, which smartly combined nationalist fervour with local concerns, gaining traction among the electorate. His elevation of OBC and SC leaders in party ranks had also improved BJP’s social base across key districts.
But now, all that strategic groundwork stands vulnerable to erosion, depending on how the rape case unfolds — and how effectively the Congress weaponises it.
Will voter memory fade in two years?
Himachal Pradesh has a long-standing tradition of alternating governments every five years. With anti-incumbency against the Sukhu government already setting in and the Congress unable to organise its own house, the BJP is the favourite to return in 2027. But whether Bindal will be at the helm of that campaign is no longer a foregone conclusion.
