Former CM Jai Ram Thakur elected as Himachal BJP's legislature party leader
Shimla: Senior BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party here on Sunday.
A meeting of the BJP legislature party was held here to elect its leader.
Thakur's election as BJP legislature party leader, and later to be Leader of Opposition in the 68-member assembly, is the vindication of his grip in the organisation which backed him despite BJP's defeat in the polls.
Both contenders for the post of legislature party – Satpal Singh Satti, a former BJP President and ex-Speaker Vipin Parmar, besides three other MLAs proposed his name while those who seconded included former deputy Speaker Hans Raj, Balbir Verma –the lone winner in Shimla district and Reena Kashyap. Kashyap is the only woman in the state assembly.
The meeting was held in the presence of BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde—a party observer at Villie's Park state guest house, Shimla. State BJP president Suresh Kashyap, BJP in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna, co-in-charge Sanjay Tandon and former Bihar minister Mangal Pande were present.
The BJP has won 25 seats in the elections held on November 12 –the results of which were declared on December 8. The BJP had given a slogan to reverse the 37-yr old custom of changing the government every five years.
Jai Ram Thakur was the party's chief ministerial face. He won his seat – Seraj in Mandi district with an all-time high record even as the party could not do well elsewhere, especially Kangra, Chamba, Una, Solan, Hamirpur, Kullu, Kinnaur and Sirmaur.
The Congress has won 40 seats while three independent MLAs also got elected to the House.
Congress state election campaign committee head Sukhwinder Sukhu was elected as leader of the Congress legislature party. He took oath as Chief Minister on December 11 but he is yet to constitute his cabinet, which has become a big
challenge for him to choose a right time.
Jai Ram Thakur, after his election, tweeted "It is my primary duty to carry out every responsibility of the BJP family. I thank all BJP MLAs and office-bearers with my heart for giving me the responsibility of BJP Legislature Party Leader. I will proactively carry out this responsibility with the support and affection of all of you."
BJP leader Mangal Pandey, who was also present in the meeting of the BJP MLAs spoke highly of Jai Ram Thakur and his leadership. He hoped that the party will be able to march ahead and expose the anti-people policies and actions of Congress which made false promises to the people to grab power in the state.
The BJP leaders also met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and submitted a memorandum highlighting Congress's vendetta politics is closing down institutions opened by the BJP government at public demands.
