bjp-throws-up-political-poser-for-congress-in-hp

In a shrewd political move, the BJP today fielded the former Congress minister from Chamba, Harsh Mahajan as a candidate for the Rajya Sabha election at the eleventh hour against Congress nominee, Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Himachal Pradesh.

 

Mahajan and Singhvi filed the nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election, slated for 27 February, on the last day of nominations today.

 

Although BJP is far less in numbers in the state Assembly, yet with Mahajan in the fray, the opposition party in HP is eyeing the support of three independents and cross-voting by Congress in the RajyaSabha polls as he has a good base in the Congress party, that he served in various capacities in government and organisation the past for long. 

 

Sources said the BJP is cashing in on the simmering discontent in the ruling party over the Rajya Sabha nominee ( Singhvi) being imposed from outside, along with the restiveness shown by a section of Congress over the cabinet formation and expansion over the last year. 

 

Mahajan, known as a pleasant and effective Congress leader, had surprised everyone by switching to BJP just before the 2022 Assembly polls, though he was one of the Working Presidents of Congress in HP then.

 

He was always considered a potential Congress leader and a good organiser but had suddenly withdrawn from electoral politics a decade and a half back. Mahajan was believed to be close to the dominating camp of former Chief Minister, late Virbhadra Singh and was the Chairman of State Cooperative Bank in Virbhadra's tenure from 2012 to 2017.

 

" Every election is important and we fight every election to win. No election should go without a candidate," said State BJP Chief, Rajiv Bindal.

 

Sources said while BJP cadres hope to break the ranks in Congres in the Rajya Sabha poll, calculating Mahajan's political acumen, the dominant Congress group is certainly apprehensive of Mahajan's entry in the fray and has begun with the exercise to keep the political flock together in the run-up to Rajya Sabha poll.