Himachal assembly polls: BJP accused of dynastic politics in ticket distribution

The BJP has been accused of nepotism in giving tickets to Chetan Bragata, son of former minister Narendra Bragata from Jubbal seat and Rajat Thakur, son of cabinet minister Mahendra Singh Thakur from Dharampur due to the political clout of the families.

Shimla: The Bhartiya Janta Party, which often targets the opposition parties of dynastic politics, has found itself under fire for alleged nepotism and encouraging dynastic politics regarding tickets in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled next month. The saffron party is being criticised for nepotism in giving tickets to Chetan Bragata, son of former minister Narendra Bragata from Jubbal seat, and Rajat Thakur, son of cabinet minister Mahendra Singh Thakur from Dharampur, due to the political clout of the families.

Bragata, who was not given a ticket in the by-election, contested as an independent while BJP's candidate Neelam Saraik lost his deposit. For that reason, Bragta has now been given a ticket in the upcoming Assembly elections. Likewise, when Mahendra Singh Thakur, the minister of the Jai Ram government in Himachal was denied the ticket, he lobbied for the ticket to his son Rajat Thakur from the Dharampur seat.

Since Mahendra Singh is a strong leader in the Dharampur seat, the high command had to bow down to the demand. Mahendra Singh Thakur's daughter Vandana Guleria also wanted a ticket but when Rajat got the ticket, Vandana Guleria rebelled. In fact, Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, son of former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, is also said to have made to the national politics on the basis of his family influence.

Similarly, Maya Sharma, wife of BJP leader Baldev Sharma, has got a ticket from the Badsar seat of Hamirpur. Govind Singh Thakur from Kullu, a minister in the current government and son of Kunjlal Thakur, has also managed a ticket from the Manali seat. BJP has also given a ticket to Dr Rajesh Kashyap from Solan's seat. His brother Virendra Kashyap has been MP from Shimla's seat twice.

BJP has also given a ticket to Anil Dhiman from the Bhoranj seat of Hamirpur district, although he has been an MLA in the past, but he is also said to have benefited from his father, former cabinet minister ID Dhiman. Narendra Thakur has managed a ticket in the Hamirpur seat itself. He is the son of Jagdev Thakur, a senior Sangh and BJP leader.

In Mandi seat, Pandit Sukhram's son Anil Sharma is a candidate for the second consecutive time from the BJP. Before 2017, the entire family was in Congress and Anil Sharma was a minister in the Virbhadra Singh government. Pandit Sukh Ram was also a Union Minister and a big face of Himachal politics.

His son Anil Sharma is carrying forward his legacy. Anil Sharma's son Ashray Sharma has also left Congress and joined BJP, he contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Mandi on a Congress ticket and lost to BJP's Ramswaroop Sharma. Senior journalist Dhananjay Sharma said the dynastic politics used by politicians to target rival leaders is a tricky term.

“If a young leader of the next generation in the family makes a place in politics with his talent, then he should get a chance. However, if a family member is brought into politics by parachute, then it is wrong,” he said. “As far as Anurag Thakur and Chetan Bragta are concerned, they were not only active in politics since the time of their father, but Anurag has also made his personal identity,” he said. While there was nothing wrong with the children of veteran politicians carrying forward the legacy, politics should not be confined to a particular family for a long time, Sharma suggested.