Without Shanta in the fray, BJP workers feel demoralized

PALAMPUR- There is an upbeat in the congress camp here over the decision of BJP High command not to field Shanta Kumar for assembly election from Palampur. Congress workers all over the district are virtually celebrating the decision of keeping Shanta Kumar out of electoral arena. In Palampur constituency if Shanta Kumar is not in the field it will be a cake walk for congress candidate Mr. Brij Behari Lal Butail.

After visiting five constituencies of Palampur region this correspondent observed that majority of BJP workers are feeling demoralized and slowly withdrawing themselves from the active election campaign as the party has become head less. Number of workers in Dheera, Bhawarna, Sulaha, Panchrukhi and Thural criticized the decision BJP High Command and said how BJP could fight a battle without its captain. They said for the first time in BJP such situation has arisen that party was contesting the elections in the state without any leader. There is a complete sense of disillusion among the party workers here.

After Mr. Shanta Kumar out of election scene congress and BSP had ray of hope winning the maximum number of seats of this largest district of the state which is politically quite significant. Particularly the BSP now definitely stands to gain as Mrs. Mayawati has already projected Major Vijay Singh Mankoita as Chief Ministerial candidate of her party from Kangra with an intention to get maximum number of assembly seats from here. But the BJP workers fail to understand why BJP High Command was taking immature decisions by ignoring the tallest leader of the party who had got recognization to BJP in this hill state

On the other hand number of BJP candidates in the district were feeling insecure in the absence Mr. Shanta Kumar from the election scene. They said it would be in the supreme interest of the party to field Mr. Shanta Kumar in the elections and BJP High Command should take decision without any further delay other wise it would affect the winning prospectus of the party.

Mr. Shanta Kumar while talking to this correspondent here this morning said that he had been summoned by the party High Command tomorrow at New Delhi for the final round of talks on the allotment of tickets for remaining eight seats. Party may review its decision about his contesting the assembly election.

He said he had apprised the party High Command including Mr. Rajnath Singh and L.K. Advani of contesting the assembly election three month ago. He said he remained loyal party workers since the age of nineteen years. He said people of the state were well conversant with his political carrier of fifty years; he needed no certification from any body. For him party is supreme.

Ravinder Sood

A senior journalist from Palampur.