All is not well with the BJP in Himachal Pradesh. The party state unit is facing a rebellion of sorts, after many of its leaders, considered close to party’s senior national vice-president Shanta Kumar, formed a separate party, Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP). Even as the BJP’s national leadership had sent a team of observers to quell the rebellion and do the damage control, the exodus from the state BJP continues.
The latest embarrassment for the party was when BJP’s sitting MP Rajan Sushant’s son Dhariya Sushant joined the new outfit HLP on Tuesday, as the team of central observers were having parleys with the state leadership about the ongoing crisis. Mr Rajan Sushant had embarrassed the party time-to-time by levelling corruption charges against its own government.
Even as the state BJP is trying to play down the formation of HLP, the presence of leaders like former MP Maheshwar Singh in the HLP is definitely a cause of worry for the BJP leadership.
However, the rising rebellion against the state BJP is not going well with many well-meaning leaders of the party, who consider the signs ominous for the party as it is due to face Assembly elections late this year.