The Himachal Pradesh BJP will launch the campaign for Lok Sabha elections and assembly by-polls from Hamirpur by organising a rally to be addressed by senior leaders of the party on April 8, the party’s office bearers said on Thursday.
The Hamirpur district has become the epicentre of electoral politics as besides elections for the Lok Sabha seats, assembly by-polls to Sujanpur and Barsar seats are being held simultaneously, and in case the resignation of Ashish Sharma (Independent) from the Hamirpur assembly seat is also accepted by the Speaker, another by-poll would be held simultaneously. Sharma has already joined the BJP.
Senior party leaders, including former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, former chief minister Jairam Thakur and state BJP president Rajeev Bindal will participate in the rally.
Rajendra Rana and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, BJP candidates from Sujanpur and Barsar assembly constituencies and Hamirpur MLA Sharma will also join the rally.
The BJP has already announced the name of the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat and Congress rebels Rajinder Rana and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal from Sujanpur and Barsar assembly constituencies, which fell vacant following their disqualification.
Six Congress rebels who had voted in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls held in February were disqualified for defying a whip to be present in the House and vote in favour of the government during the cut motions and budget.
With a view to gearing up the party cadre, a meeting of the Hamirpur district unit was held on Thursday and a broad blue print of the activities in the run up to the polls was discussed.
The party will observe its Foundation Day on April 6 by holding rallies at circle levels and poll preparations will be reviewed, said district BJP president Desraj Sharma.
As the elections are less than two months away, the office bearers and workers have been asked to remain in a state of readiness and attend all the party programmes till the elections are complete and start spadework at booth level, he added.
Meanwhile, Rajinder Rana has already intensified his campaign by reaching out to the voters and holding corner meetings. A strong BJP wave with slogans of Jai Shri Ram is sweeping the state and the people want Narendra Modi to become the prime minister for the third term, he claimed.
