COURTESY HT OCT 5

BJP bosses show the door to rebels Pyari, Chaudhary; triangular contests in offing

Gaurav Bisht

gaurav.bisht@hindustantimes.com

Shimla : The BJP on Friday expelled its leader Dayal Pyari and Rakesh Chaudhary for contesting against party candidate in Pachhad and Dharamshala assembly segments, respectively.

State party president Satpal Singh Satti issued the order for expulsion of both the leaders for a period of six years on Friday after the last day for withdrawal of nominations.

Pyari, who was considered as one of the top contender till few months back, was denied the ticket by the saffron party following which she, along with another rebel Ashish Sikta, filed papers as independent from Pachhad while Chaudhary rebelled in Dharmashala.

Though the BJP managed to persuade Sikta to withdraw from the contest, Pyari and Chaudhary, besides several other independents, continue to be in the fray to queer the pitch of the authorised party candidates and to make the contest triangular in both the constituencies.

“Pyari was associated with party for long and was a dedicated worker. She had initially agreed to withdraw but later changed her mind. She has been expelled from the party for six years,” said state BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti.

Pyari fell off with local leader Baldev Bhandhari and had filed a complaint against him, later withdrawn, for pushing her on the stage in the presence of the CM “The party has meted out injustice to me. I had served the BJP dedicatedly for years,” the teary-eyed leader had said after filing nomination.

A total of 12 candidates are trying their luck from Pachhad and Dharamsala seats.

A triangular contest is expected among former Zila Parishad member Reena Kashyap (BJP), former minister Gangu Ram Musafir (Congress) and Dayal Pyari (Independent) in Pachhad, where five candidates are in the fray.

On the other hand, a direct contest is expected between Congress’s Vijay Inder Karan and BJP’s Vishal Nehriya in Dharamshala, where seven candidates are trying their luck.

Given Pyari’s popularity in the region, the saffron party is gearing up to put all might in campaign for its green horn candidate Reena Kashyap.

They party has pressed in senior leaders—Mahender Singh and Suresh Bhardwaj, who are both in-charge for Pachhad assembly segment, besides Rajiv Saijal and party’s chief whip Narendra Bragta, into the poll campaign. Caste and regional politics have always played a vital role in drawing the political contours on Pachhad, which is divided into two main region—Trans Giri and Sis Giri region, with the latter holding an upper hand in regional politics. Both the regions have 30 panchayats each.

The BJP this time has changed it’s strategy and allotted ticket to Reena Kashyap, who belongs to Trans Giri region which is dominated by Hatti community. The community has been seeking tribal status for long, but to no avail. A delegation, comprising BJP leaders from Sirmour, had met with PM several times to discuss the issue.