Father, son bring royal family drama for BJP in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu

Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu was in the news so far for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to enjoy the Kullu Dussehra this month. But now, a royal family drama is playing out for the party in the prestigious seat, with BJP president JP Nadda stepping in to resolve the mess ahead of the 12 November elections.

The BJP’s headache is Maheshwar Singh, its former MLA from Kullu who has also been a multiple-time MP in the past and former party president of the state. Singh is now fighting as an Independent from the seat after the BJP cancelled his candidature earlier this week. The seat is held by the Congress and the saffron party is desperate to get it back.

Singh is the scion of the erstwhile Kullu princely state, ‘chadibardar’ (stickman) of Lord Raghunath in Kullu and plays a prominent role in Kullu’s Dussehra.

Singh says his son Hiteshwar no longer listens to him “since he is married” and he has been unable to convince him to withdraw as an Independent candidate from the adjoining Banjar seat in Kullu. The BJP cancelled Maheshwar Singh’s ticket this week after being upset with him.

However, Nadda reached Shimla on Thursday and Maheshwar Singh was called in from Kullu to meet him. The BJP president is said to have implored him to withdraw as an Independent candidate to let the official BJP candidate from the Kullu seat, Narottam Thakur, win.

Maheshwar Singh’s long meetings — first with Nadda and then Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur — have not resulted in any breakthrough yet as he has said his supporters are upset and he will decide only after speaking to them in Kullu. The last date of withdrawal of nominations in the elections is Saturday, 29 October.

A senior BJP leader looking at Himachal Pradesh told News18 that the fight is close in both the Kullu and Banjar seats and rebel candidates like the Singh father-son duo can spoil the BJP’s chances here. “But we are confident that we will be able to resolve the issue in Kullu seat,” the leader said after the efforts by Nadda and the chief minister.

Both the BJP and the Congress are grappling with problems of rebels contesting as Independents, which could change equations in the Himachal Pradesh elections.

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