The Hindu : National : Dhumal elected BJP Legislature Party leader

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Sunday, Dec 30, 2007
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Dhumal elected BJP Legislature Party leader

Kanwar Yogendra

Seven supporters of Shanta Kumar absent

— Photo: PTI

CELEBRATION TIME: BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal shows the victory sign with Satpal Jain, who is in charge of the party’s affairs in the State, in Shimla on Friday.

Shimla: Bharatiya Janata Party legislators on Saturday unanimously elected Prem Kumar Dhumal as their leader here. Mr. Dhumal’s name was proposed by State unit president Jairam Thakur and seconded by the Leader of the Opposition in the previous Assembly, Ishwar Dass Dhiman.

Though it was a formal meeting, surprisingly, of the 41 newly elected MLAs, seven staunch supporters of the former Chief Minister, Shanta Kumar, were conspicuous by their absence.

However, State party in charge Satpal Jain said all of them were caught in a traffic jam and could not come in time. He later claimed that all the MLAs had come after some time and signed the letter of intent.

BJP national Vice-President and once a contender for the chief ministership in the hill State, Mr. Kumar is now termed the “Mukhia” (headman) of the party and a source of guidance and direction for the youth. But, his supporters, who were absent on the very first day, were the same people who had earlier also revolted during the last government of Mr. Dhumal. They had stayed out of the budget session for 22 days and the then BJP government was reduced to a minority.

Mr. Kumar’s supporters who were not in the meeting were: Ramesh Dhwala, Rajan Sushant, Krishan Kapoor, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Vipin Parmar, Praveen Kumar and Virender Kanwar.

Though Mr. Kumar and Mr. Dhumal did not discuss the absence of these legislators, they jointly addressed the MLAs and showered praise on each other later.

Meets Governor

After the Legislature Party meeting, Mr. Dhumal met Governor V.S. Kokje in the Raj Bhavan. Mr. Kumar, Mr. Thakur, and observers Mr. Satpal Jain and O.P. Dhankar accompanied him. He produced the letter of support signed by all 41 MLAs and was invited by the Governor to form the next government, said a party spokesman.

Mr. Dhumal will take the oath at the historic Ridge Maidan on Sunday. It will be for the first time for any Chief Minister to take oath outside the Raj Bhavan and in the open.

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