“Fitting” position in BJP is planned for six rebels from Himachal Congress

The state BJP leadership is discussing the six disqualified Congress MPs’ political future by adjusting them “honourably” amid rumors that they may join the saffron party before the Supreme Court issues its decision on May 7.

Here today, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur made a suggestion to that effect. “By supporting the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections, the six MLAs made a historic move and forfeited their Assembly membership in the process. In light of their contribution to the BJP’s triumph, a decision will be made, he said. In this sense, he said, the ultimate decision would be made by the central leadership. Senior party officials met with national vice-president Saudan Singh here yesterday night to discuss the six MLAs’ candidacies in the impending Assembly bypolls and how to put an end to any potential BJP dissent.

Thakur attended the meeting, where a lengthy discussion took place over the bigger issue of providing tickets to the six Congress dissidents. According to sources, it may not be able to provide tickets to all six of the candidates whose seats became empty after their disqualification; but, by granting them significant political posts, they could be rearranged at the Center or elsewhere. Even before the party made a decision on tickets, some BJP leaders, including former minister Virender Kanwar, who lost the 2022 Assembly election from Kulehar in Una, had begun campaigning. This demonstrated the difficult task the party faced in putting an end to cadre dissension.

Additionally, Thakur did not completely rule out the six members of the opposition joining the BJP once they were excluded from the Vidhan Sabha due to the anti-defection statute.

He stated that the SC’s order to organize six Assembly by-elections was being examined by the party’s top leadership and legal experts. But he also said that the BJP was prepared for the polls. Regarding his potential candidacy for the Mandi Local Assembly seat, he said that there was no lack of qualified contenders.

Talk about MLAs switching to saffron

Before the Supreme Court’s decision on May 7, there has been talk of six disqualified Congress members of parliament joining the saffron party. LoP Jai Ram Thakur was present at a meeting to explore the prospect of providing them with tickets to the impending Assembly by-election.
According to sources, all six may not get tickets, but they could be changed by making important appointments at the Center or somewhere else.