Ex-MP Kripal Parmar resigns, says BJP working dictatorial

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 23

A day before the crucial Core Group and State Executive meeting, state BJP vice-president and former Rajya Sabha member Kripal Parmar today resigned from the party post, terming the party leadership’s attitude “dictatorial.”

Was denied ticket for Fatehpur byelection

Kripal Parmar, state BJP vice-president and former Rajya Sabha member, was considered close to party national president JP Nadda, but was denied ticket for the Fatehpur bypoll. He was the BJP candidate in the 2017 Assembly poll. He was feeling humiliated in the present party set-up.

Parmar, considered close to national BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda, was denied ticket for the Assembly by-poll from Fatehpur in Kangra held last month even though he was the party’s candidate in 2017 assembly poll. Without mincing words, Parmar said that senior party leaders like him were feeling humiliated in the present party set up.

“I tried raising these issues at the party forum but there was no say as people at the helm of affairs were not willing to listen. I felt suffocated in the party set up and as such I felt it was best to resign,” he said.

“Under the present circumstances, I would prefer to just remain a simple worker,” he added. Parmar, however, added that he had only resigned from the party post and not party.

He said that all those who worked and conspired against him in the 2017 Assembly poll had been rewarded by the party despite his objection. The resignation comes at a very inopportune time, just a day before the significant Core Group and State BJP Executive meeting to be held here on November 24-26. The BJP Legislature Party meeting has been scheduled for November 26.

The Core Group and State Executive meeting has been called to dissect the by-poll defeat and take corrective measures so that the party is fully geared for the 2022 Assembly poll due later next year. As such it is being expected that some major changes will be effected in the organization as part of preparation for the Assembly poll next year.

BJP sources said party’s internal reports on Fatehpur defeat had pointed towards Parmar having worked against the official candidate Baldev Thakur. “Apprehending action against him, there is a possibility that he chose to step down,” said a senior leader.

The resignation could further aggravate the simmering discontent among a section of the senior party leaders who feel they have no say in party decisions as the senior leadership behaves in a very autocratic manner. Earlier, former minister and sitting MLA from Jwalamukhi Ramesh Dhawala too had aired his grouse against dictatorial style of functioning of senior leaders and interfering in his constituency.