Shortlist names of probables for LS poll, Nadda tells state BJP

Tribune News Service

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, January 6

BJP national president JP Nadda has directed the Himachal party unit to shortlist the names of candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and also submit the inputs of the party survey reports at the earliest so that ticket could be finalised.

Nadda chaired a meeting of the 21-member BJP core group here last evening. However, former chief ministers Shanta Kumar and PK Dhumal and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur could not attend the meeting. Nadda also took feedback on the preparations for the parliamentary elections and urged the leaders present to ensure the BJP’s victory on all four Lok Sabha seats like in the 2019 elections.

Shanta, Anurag skip meeting

• The 21-member core group held a detailed discussion on how to increase the party’s vote share in the Lok Sabha elections
• Former chief ministers Shanta Kumar and PK Dhumal and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur could not attend the meeting
• Nadda also took feedback on the preparations for the parliamentary elections and urged the leaders present to ensure the BJP’s victory on all four Lok Sabha seats
• A meeting of the BJP state officer-bearers was also held under the chairmanship of party president Rajeev Bindal

Besides a panel of names that the BJP core group would forward to the central leadership, the party would also hold surveys to get feedback about the strongest candidates for the Shimla, Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi Lok Sabha seats. Barring the Mandi seat that state Congress president Pratibha Singh represents, the BJP holds the other three.

Party sources said that a discussion was also held on the issues to be raised during the Lok Sabha elections which reflected the poor governance of the Congress government in the state. The issue of the failure by the Congress government to fulfil the guarantees given to people before the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections was bound to dominate the Lok Sabha election campaign. “The visit of Nadda ji has enthused party workers, who have started working to ensure the party’s clean sweep in the parliamentary elections,” said Randhir Sharma, Nanda Devi MLA and BJP chief spokesman.

The core group held a detailed discussion on how to increase the party’s vote share in the Lok Sabha elections. “After the resounding victory of the party in the recent Assembly elections in three states, the BJP workers are aiming at increasing the victory margin on all four Lok Sabha seats,” said Sharma.

The party leadership has already chalked out a road map for the Lok Sabha elections and entrusted responsibilities to office-bearers. After January 25, the party will organise Panna Pramukh conferences at the panchayat and village levels across Himachal to galvanize the organistaion.

A meeting of the BJP state officer-bearers was also held under the chairmanship of party president Rajeev Bindal here today. Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, state in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna, organisation general secretary Siddharthan, state general secretary Sikandar Kumar, leader Trilok Kapoor and Bihari Lal Sharma attended the meeting.

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