MANDI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is grappling with internal sabotage fears as Congress rebels, who have been integrated into the party and made candidates, face resistance from within.
The efforts by BJP leaders to curb rebellion have proved futile. In four Assembly constituencies, BJP loyalists have rebelled and entered the electoral fray either as Independent or on the Congress ticket. Captain Ranjit Singh Rana (retd) in Sujanpur and Rakesh Kalia in Gagret are contesting on the Congress ticket, while Rakesh Chaudhary from Dharamshala and Ramlal Markanda in Lahaul-Spiti are fighting as independent nominees.
Tensions are high in all six Assembly constituencies, with many BJP leaders disgruntled over the inclusion of Congress defectors and the allocation of the party ticket to them. This dissatisfaction has led to reluctance to openly campaigning among a section of BJP leaders, thereby heightening the threat of internal sabotage. There is a palpable fear that those who could not openly rebel might undermine the party from within.
In Dharamshala, BJP’s decision to field Congress defector Sudhir Sharma has met with opposition from former minister and MP Kishen Kapoor and former MLA Vishal Nehria. Though these leaders have remained loyal to the party, they are not actively campaigning for Sudhir. Though involved in the Lok Sabha election campaign, their participation in the Assembly byelections has been minimal. Similarly, in Barsar constituency, former MLA Baldev Sharma is not actively campaigning for Congress defector and BJP candidate Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, with only sporadic appearances alongside him.
In the Kutlehar Assembly constituency, former minister Virendra Kanwar is focusing on party work but is rarely seen campaigning for Assembly bypoll candidate Davinder Bhutto. Although he appeared with Bhutto during the nomination filing, his involvement in the campaign has been limited.
The major and second-line BJP leaders across the six Assembly constituencies are visibly upset with the decision to include Congress rebels and grant them tickets. This resentment has prevented them from fully engaging in the campaign.
To address the rebellion and pacify disgruntled leaders, BJP state president Rajeev Bindal and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur are making concerted efforts. They are meeting with discontented leaders, offering them positions within the organisation and awarding state-level posts to several leaders. The efforts to mollify the disgruntled leaders continue, with 13 days left for the campaigning. The coming days will reveal whether the BJP can successfully placate its discontented leaders and mitigate the threat of internal sabotage against its candidates.
