With eye on polls, Cong starts poaching on BJP and AAP in Himachal
Shimla : The First it was the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) giving some shocks to the ruling BJP and Congress breaking away some of their disgruntled leaders to the party to make its entry in the hill state, slated to go to the polls this year.
The move was countered by the BJP immediately admitting AAP state President Anup Kesari and party's women wing chief Mumta Thakur to the BJP in April 2022—just close to Arvind Kejriwal's first visit to the state.
But, now it seems to be the turn of the congress to cause a dent, not alone to the BJP but also AAP making their leaders to desert their party and join the Congress bandwagon.
On Saturday Nikka Singh Patial, former AAP state president and Shesh Pal Saklani, state organising secretary of the AAP were inducted into the Congress in presence of Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Congress's campaign committee head and a former PCC president.
Patial made serious charges against Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleging that he never treated Himachal Pradesh leaders with due respect and those deputed in the state to hand party affairs were concerned only for their well-being, not for the people of the state.
"Despite working relentlessly for establishing AAP in Himachal for four years, I realised that Kejriwal wants to control the Himachal affairs from Delhi," Patial alleged.
Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu claimed that there would be a major virtual split in the BJP before the Assembly polls as several leaders were in touch with the Congress. The Congress, he says, will form the next government. The BJP has will be wiped out in the next polls due to anti-people, anti-employees, anti-youth and anti-farmers policies, part from corruption and non-performance in the state.
Sukhu denied rift in the congress leaders, who he claimed were determined to ensure that the BJP does not return to power again. He also did not see a chance of AAP opening its account in the state as it has no presence or leadership.
Patial said he was joining the Congress as he was totally disillusioned with the AAP. "Kejriwal wants to run the organisation in his own way and wants Delhi to rule over Himachal. Why should people from Delhi dictate terms and call the shots in Himachal? he asked.
Earlier to this, former BJP president Khimi Ram Sharma ,who had also served as forest minister under Prem Kumar Dhumal, also joined the Congress in presence of AICC incharge Rajeev Shukla. This was quite a blow to the BJP, which rather had been claiming that the Congress was a sinking ship.
Sharma had been feeling ignored and systematically sidelined in the party as was also denied ticket in 2017 polls, where a youth leader Surender Shourie replaced him.
Insiders say Sharma wanted to contest the next poll but the BJP declined to give any assurance for this as he jumped the wall towards Congress, which has assured him to consider for the ticket.
Last week, a former BJP counselor Manoj Kuthiala also quit the party in Shimla and joined the Congress as he reached out to Holly-Lodge, residence of former Chief Minister Virbhadra singh.
Pratibha Singh PCC president and Mandi MP inducted him in the Congress.
