Former BJP minister, Ram Lal Markanda had resigned in protest from BJP after the announcement of the ticket to Congress rebel Ravi Thakur in the tribal constituency and had said he could contest from Congress. This move faces opposition from Congress rank and file in the tribal constituency.
Even as there is much reaction in the BJP against the decision to give a party ticket to Congress rebel, Ravi Thakur in the Lahaul & Spiti Assembly constituency of Himachal Pradesh for a by-poll on June 1, things are not fine in the Congress, especially in this tribal segment after the former BJP minister, Ram Lal Markanda declared that he may contest on Congress ticket.
Three-time MLA and former BJP minister, Markanda, who entered into electoral politics in 1998 on Himachal Vikas Congress (a splinter group of Congress floated by former Union minister, late Sukh Ram) and then contested on BJP ticket in 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2022, lost to Ravi Thakur of Congress in 2022 Assembly polls.
However, with the Speaker disqualifying six Congress MLAs for defying the whip, including Ravi Thakur, Markanda was quick to announce that he was ready to contest the by-poll. However, when the BJP preferred to give the ticket to Ravi Thakur for the by-poll, Markanda resigned from the BJP, along with some BJP office bearers in protest.
“I will contest the by-poll. I may even contest from the Congress party. It is not a question of me as a person. It is a question of Lahaul & Spiti. I will contest for Lahaul & Spiti. I will contest for my people,” said Markanda, upset with the announcement of BJP ticket to disqualified Congress rebel, Ravi Thakur.
Markanda had been associated with the Youth Congress before he had entered the electoral fray on the HVC ticket in 1998.
The speculations that Markanda may get a Congress ticket are not going down well with Congress cadres in Lahaul & Spiti, who are up against the former BJP minister’s intentions and have warned the party not to accommodate an ‘imported’ candidate. The Congress office bearers, along with a contender for the ticket, a popular young leader Suresh Kardo, have threatened to resign if Markanda is given a Congress ticket from Lahaul Spiti.
“We have been working sincerely for the party in the tribal area and have been doing little-little works of the people with so much running around so that they are at ease.
Now that the Congress MLA has revolted against the party and has joined the opposition BJP, the Congress party should consider loyal party workers for the ticket,” said Suresh Kardo, former District Youth Congress President and former district NSUI President from Lahaul & Spiti.
He said Markanda is now putting in efforts to get the Congress ticket. “If he is accommodated at this point by Congress, it would demoralize the Congressmen in the tribal constituency and many office bearers may resign,” Kardo added. Kardo said he has personally met Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also with the request.
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