Shimla: What BJP looked as a smooth sail on its catchy slogan –'Rivaaz Badaldo' seems to have hit a first roadblock over distribution of tickets, triggering a revolt in more than dozen assembly constituencies.
During the day, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was seen doing a lot of fire fighting to pacify the agitated BJP workers at Mandi.
The party in its first list of 62 candidates, out of total 68 had denied tickets to 11 sitting MLAs, shifted two cabinet ministers to new seats and replaced one cabinet minister with his son, bringing in 23 new faces for November 8 elections.
Even as a new list of remaining eight candidates has also been released on Thursday denying ticket to another sitting independent MLA—who was admitted to the party few days back, there is no let-up in the rebellion at some of the key-constituencies including Dharamshala, Mandi, Nurpur, Banjar, Nalagarh, Chamba and Dharampur.
Daughter of Mohinder Singh Thakur, seniormost cabinet minister denied ticket to accommodate his son at Dharampur has created chaos within Thakur's family. His politically ambitious daughter Vandana Guleria has taken to social media posts to accuse his father of promoting patriarchy and sacrificing a daughter's interests.
There were reports about her plans to join Congress and contest against BJP candidate i.e. his brother Rajat Thakur.
Praveen Sharma, BJP's young leader and spokesman for a longtime, has resigned in Mandi to protest against the party decision to give ticket to Anil Sharma, a former minister known for his Congress credentials.
Anil Sharma had to resign his cabinet post in 2019 when his son decided to contest on the congress ticket in Mandi Lok Sabha. Sharma is son of former telecom minister Pt Sukh Ram.
At Banjar, son of Maheshwar Singh,a BJP senior and former MP, has revolted against the party over granting ticket to sitting MLA.
In today's list Maheshwar Singh was fielded from Kullu but that did not stop his son from going ahead with his plans.
Supporters of senior cabinet minister Suresh Bhardwaj, who has been shifted to Kasumpti from Shimla (Urban)—his stronghold, are putting pressure on him to tell the party that he will not contest from a new constituency.
Disturbing reports are pouring from Drang in Mandi district where sitting MLA Jawahar Thakur has been denied ticket. Similar tension also prevails in Karsog and Ani over denial of tickets to incumbent MLAs.
In Chamba where the party has chosen to field a woman candidate replacing sitting MLA, the party workers have threatened to over-turn the BJP apple-cart in the election.
Vishal Nehria, a young sitting MLA not fielded by the party for the second time is not taking the BJP decision on tickets pleasantly .
Former minister Ramesh Dhawla – a longtime Shanta Kumar loyalist shifted to Dehra from Jawalamukhi (Kangra) is also on rebellion course while Ravinder Singh Ravi—a former minister and loyalist of ex-CM Prem Kumar Dhumal has put off his plan to take shelter in the Congress after party seniors including Dhumal reached-out to him and assured ticket.
Former ABVP state president Kaul Negi, who is party's new face at Rampur – the hometown of former CM Virbhadra Singh is also challenged by a rival section of the BJP.
The name of former chief minister and veteran party leader Prem Kumar Dhumal has been kept out of the fray even as he had a wish to contest from Sujanpur—a constituency he had lost in 2017 and got his plans to become Chief Minister derailed.
Party sources said the 78-year-old leader, whose son Anurag Thakur is a Union minister for Information and Broadcasting announced to play a "margdarshak" for the BJP joining the elite party group of veterans—viz L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Shanta Kumar.