Just as Covid cases started showing a decline in Himachal Pradesh, BJP cadres in the state have started preparing for elections that are going to be held in 2022.
On Friday, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur flew to Chandigarh to participate in the meeting convened organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Besides state secretary Pawan Rana, the meeting was also attended by BJP state president Suresh Kashyap and three general secretaries; Trilok Kapoor, Pawan Rana, and Rakesh Jamwal.
BJP party in-charge for Himachal Pradesh, Avinash Rai Khanna, and co-in charge Sanjay Tandon is also gearing up to bolster BJP organisational set up in advance for next year's elections.
The Sangh Parivar has jumped into the action mode as byelections for the Fatehpur assembly and Mandi Lok Sabha seats are just around the corner.
The by-polls which were expected to be held in June were deferred by the Election Commission of India (ECI) keeping in view the second wave of Coronavirus.
With ECI starting consultations with the states, byelections are expected to be held in the next few weeks.
The Municipal Corporation polls that are going to be held in the months of May and June 2022, hold importance for the BJP as the civic body polls are being considered a ‘test-check' for the BJP and could give an idea if BJP will be able to stay in power.
Sources in the BJP said there will be a broader analysis of the issues which will influence the next assembly elections. The party will also decide on its agenda for the elections.
The state has followed a pattern of alternating between BJP and Congress in every alternative terms. Jai Ram Thakur has been assigned the task to allay speculations that BJP will not be returning to power in Himachal.
For this, winning the Mandi parliamentary seat, which had fallen vacant after the death of two-time MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, holds significance.
The Fathepur assembly seat had fallen vacant after the demise of former Congress Minister Sujan Singh Pathania and can help in gauging the results in the 2022 elections.
Mandi being Jai Ram Thakur’s stronghold is crucial to prove acceptance of his leadership while Kangra, which is the state’s largest district, has always been an important one.
“The RSS may suggest some names for the by-polls and give the chief minister a roadmap for next one year to fix the gaps and tone-up governance”, said a veteran BJP leader.
Some names have already been floating around for Mandi by-poll. Among those names, incumbent cabinet minister Mohindra Singh Thakur’s name remains at the top.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is also expected to fly to Delhi to meet central leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president J P Nadda next week.
