Himachal elections: State Congress working president Harsh Mahajan joins BJP - Hindustan Times
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Himachal elections: State Congress working president Harsh Mahajan joins BJP

Sep 28, 2022 11:17 PM IST

The 67-year-old leader, a trusted lieutenant of former CM Virbhadra Singh, quitting the party at such a crucial juncture is reflective of the chaos in the grand-old party

Already battling a leadership crisis, the opposition Congress got a shock in poll-bound Himachal as Harsh Mahajan, a former cabinet minister and currently the state working president, quit the party to join BJP.

Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee working president Harsh Mahajan meets BJP national president JP Nadda after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party as Union minister Piyush Goyal looks on at party headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI)
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee working president Harsh Mahajan meets BJP national president JP Nadda after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party as Union minister Piyush Goyal looks on at party headquarters in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI)

Mahajan, breaking off half-a-century old association with Congress, joined the saffron party in Delhi where he was welcomed by BJP national president JP Nadda in presence of Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal.

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The 67-year-old leader, a trusted lieutenant of former CM Virbhadra Singh, quitting the party at such a crucial juncture is reflective of the chaos in the grand-old party and the weakening grip of state party president Pratibha Singh.

Mahajan, who inherited politics from his father Des Raj Mahajan, a former Vidhan Sabha speaker and cabinet minister, joined Congress back in 1972.

A graduate of Sriram College of Commerce, New Delhi, Mahajan was one of the longest-serving president of the Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress from 1986-95.

He was first elected to the state assembly from the Chamba assembly segment in 1993 and appointed a chief parliamentary secretary. He was re-elected in 1998 and 2003. He was the animal husbandry minister in the Virbhadra Singh government from 2003-2008. He also remained the chairman of State Cooperative Bank from 2013-2017.

Alleges Nepotism In Party

While addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mahajan claimed the Congress had become “visionless, directionless and leaderless” and was ruled by “maa-beta” like in Delhi, an apparent dig on HPCC chief Pratibha Singh and her MLA son Vikramaditya Singh, the family he was closest to for decades.

“I’ve been in Congress for about 45 years. I didn’t lose an election. Congress was there till Virbhadra Singh was there. Today, Congress has become directionless. There is no vision and there is no leadership,” he said.

He accused that a group in the party was indulging in the sale of tickets.

‘Dumped the party 15 years ago’

While it remains to be seen whether Mahajan leaving the party would harm Congress or not, his rival said that he had dumped the party and the people of Chamba 15 years ago.

Mahajan had opted out of contesting elections in 2007 when he was at the peak of his career. Since then, Congress has not won a single election from the Chamba assembly constituency.

“He dumped Congress 15 years ago and helped BJP get a foothold in Chamba. What he had been doing covertly, now he can do it openly,” said AICC general secretary and Dalhousie legislator Asha Kumari.

“There would be no consequences for Congress,” she added.

Pratibha says Mahajan broke trust

Shimla: State Congress president Pratibha Singh has accused the BJP of sabotaging the opposition parties. Expressing surprise over Mahajan’s exit, she said, “Some people leaving the Congress, neither the party will be weakened, nor will there be any adverse effect on the morale of the workers.”

She said that Mahajan has broken the trust of Congress by going behind their back for which the people of the state will never forgive him.

Photos attached: Former Congress minister and state working president with BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal after joining BJP in New Delhi on Wednesday.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Naresh K Thakur is a staff reporter in Hindustan Times’ Himachal bureau. Based at Dharamshala, he covers Tibetan affairs, local politics and environmental issues.

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