The BJP in Himachal Pradesh may face changes in permutations and combinations in the run-up to the next Assembly polls in 2027 following the high command’s preference for Dr. Rajiv Bindal as state BJP president once again.
For Bindal, 70, the election to the coveted party post in Himachal, which he will now hold for the third time, marks a strong comeback in BJP politics ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.
A five-time former MLA — thrice from Solan and twice from Nahan in a row — Bindal had lost the 2022 Assembly poll in Nahan to a Congress candidate. Before that, during the previous BJP tenure with Jai Ram Thakur as Chief Minister, Bindal found himself in a tight spot. Reportedly not on good terms with Jai Ram Thakur, Bindal was left out of the cabinet and was made Speaker of the HP Assembly, almost against his wishes. Midway through the tenure, the party high command picked him to head the state BJP. He was replaced by Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar as Speaker.
However, during Covid, Bindal had to quit the party post when the then state government headed by Jai Ram Thakur unfolded a scam in the health department, in which government sources had subtly pointed fingers toward Bindal and his close associates. Nothing was eventually found against him.
Party sources said that when Bindal was given the responsibility to head the state BJP in 2023, it did not go down well with Jai Ram Thakur and his confidants in the BJP. Jai Ram Thakur reportedly did not want Bindal to be the party chief and was backing some other names, realising that the party president plays a key role in public polls and in giving feedback to the party high command on ticket distribution.
But he failed, and Bindal — known as a highly energetic politician with strong organisational skills and an RSS background — has staged a comeback at this crucial time, and that too with no other opponent in the race for party president. This also happened because, even after getting the golden opportunity of becoming Chief Minister following the defeat of two-time BJP CM Prem Kumar Dhumal in the 2017 Assembly election, Jai Ram Thakur could not carve out his authority or build a loyalist group strong enough to impress the party high command. Jai Ram Thakur’s body language when Bindal became the party chief for the third time on Tuesday did not convey much happiness or confidence, while Dhumal’s son, former Union Minister and MP Anurag Thakur, appeared quite cheerful at the show.
Bindal began his electoral politics journey in the year 2000 with the support of Dhumal and has been his confidant for a long time. At the moment, he is perceived to be close to Union Health Minister and national BJP president, Jagat Prakash Nadda.
Sources close to Bindal said workers are happy with Bindal’s new term as BJP president, as he has the capacity to take everyone along and assert dominance wherever necessary. “He led the party in the Lok Sabha polls and the BJP swept all the seats. He will definitely lead the BJP to victory in the 2027 Assembly polls,” they said.
Bindal, who met national BJP president J.P. Nadda during his Bilaspur visit today to welcome him and express his gratitude for the appointment, told media persons that his target is to bring the BJP back into power in Himachal Pradesh in 2027.
“The next two years will be challenging. As party president, I will work 24x7 for the party and ensure that the corrupt Congress government is rooted out from Himachal Pradesh,” he said.
He added that even today, all former BJP chief ministers are remembered for their contributions — Shanta Kumar as ‘paani wala mukhyamantri,’ Dhumal as ‘sadak wala mukhyamantri,’ and Jai Ram Thakur for his service.
He appreciated former Union Minister Anurag Thakur and former CM Jai Ram Thakur, saying that whatever work he assigned them as party president over the last two years — in any nook or corner of the state — they fulfilled with complete commitment.
It is pertinent to mention that Bindal, who won five elections in a row between 2000 and 2017 in two different constituencies, was known as an effective Health Minister during the BJP government headed by Dhumal from 2007 to 2012.
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