BJP names Shanta poll convenor in HP

The BJP today named Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar as the convenor of the election management and campaign committee in the r...

The BJP today named Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar as the convenor of the election management and campaign committee in the run up to the coming Assembly polls.

The BJP high command had earlier directed Shanta Kumar and his bete noire, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, to address joint public meetings. The two have since done so at a few places in the course of Dhumal’s on-going Vishwas Yatra.

Lok Sabha member Maheshwar Singh has been appointed the co-convenor of the committee. Dhumal, state BJP president Jaikrishan Sharma, vice-president Chandra Mohan Thakur, organising secretary Ram Swaroop Sharma, MPs Kripal Parmar, Suresh Chandel and Suresh Bhardwaj, Yuva Norcha chief Vikram Singh Thakur and Mahila Morcha chief Veena Thakur were among those appointed as members.

While Shanta Kumar and Dhumal canvass for votes, the actual management of elections will be in the hands of BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley, former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana and central party in-charge of the state O.P. Kohli. The BJP has divided the state into three zones — Shimla, Dharmshala and Mandi — and the three Central leaders would look after one zone each.