Shanta, Dhumal to boost BJP campaign in Dharamsala

Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, October 13

Former chief ministers Shanta Kumar and PK Dhumal will join the BJP campaign in Dharamsala byelection.

Shanta Kumar will campaign tomorrow while Dhumal will do it on October 16. Both BJP stalwarts have stayed away from the campaigning so far.

Sources here said both leaders were not happy with the selection of candidates. However, it was being expected that the presence of both would help boost the party campaign.

Union Minister for State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur has also stayed away from the campaigning so far.

BJP MP from Kangra Kishan Kapoor joined the campaign only with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in the last two days. Party leaders in charge of the campaign have also not made much effort to convince Kishan Kapoor to take to active campaigning.

The BJP campaign is being held under the charge of Minister for Health Vipin Parmar and Minister for Industries Bikram Thakur. BJP MLA from Nurpur has been holding the reigns in the Chamunda region. Besides, the Chief Minister campaigned in Dharamsala for two days on October 12 and 13.

While the Congress is carrying out a more aggressive campaign in the media, the BJP leaders are concentrating on booth-level programmes and door-to-door campaigning.

They are demanding votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Party candidate Vishal Nehria has failed to outline his own agenda. His campaign is being handled mostly by the ABVP cadre.

The fact that the city has not seen much development in the last two years was admitted even by the Chief Minister during his recent visit to the area, but he shifted the blame on the Congress. The people of some villages announced poll boycott as there were no link roads to their villages.

The residents of upper Dharamsala have been suffering at the hands of the local Municipal Corporation as their maps and building completion certificates are not being cleared.

The BJP has appointed Jia Lal, party MLA from Bharmour, and a Gaddi leader to pacify the community in upper Dharamsala.

The BJP is heavily relying on the fact that the electorate will vote for the saffron party as the it is ruling in the state as well as at the Centre. The party is also carried out a more organised campaign as their leaders are trying to establish one-to-one contact with the voters.

MLA to pacify villagers

• Dharamsala has not seen much development in the last two years and it was admitted even by the Chief Minister during his recent visit to the area but he shifted the blame on the Congress 
• People of villages in upper Dharamsala announced boycott as there were no link roads to their villages
• The residents of upper Dharamsala have been suffering at the hands of the MC as their maps and building completion certificates are not being cleared by the local body. 
• The BJP has appointed Jia Lal, party MLA from Bharmour and Gaddi leader, to pacify the community  in upper Dharamsala.