Sukh Ram back in focus

Rakesh Lohumi

Sukh Ram Dynasty Opportunistic politics of the (BJP) and the Congress, the two mainstream parties, has enabled telecom scam–tainted leader Sukh Ram to call shots in Himachal Pradesh in every election. The nonagenarian leader switched side yet again to further the political career of his grandson Aashray Sharma who has been given ticket by the Congress from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.
It was a replay of the run up to the Assembly polls when the Sukh Ram dynasty deserted the Congress and joined the BJP. His son Anil Sharma, then a minister in the VIrbhadra Singh government, resigned as soon as election was announced and contested from the Mandi assembly seat as a BJP candidate. Pursuing dynastic politics to the hilt, Sukh Ram crossed over to the Congress yet again but only after ensuring ticket for his third generation. Apparently in a hurry to launch his grandson into electoral politics, Sukh Ram deserted the BJP within a short period of 18 months.

Rahul Gandhi flanked by Sukh Ram and Aashray

Chief Minister Jairam at a rally Jairam at an election meeting

The former union minister took the step after the BJP refused ticket to Aashray. It caused much embarrassment to the ruling BJP as Anil Sharma continued as minister in the Jai Ram cabinet and refused to campaign for the BJP. The BJP was put in a spot as Sukh Ram still enjoys considerable support in the Mandi region and the party apprehended that taking action against him might result in an electoral backlash. Moreover, Mandi is the home district of Chief Minister Jai Ram and as such stakes are high for him and the party. It was only after three weeks that Anil Sharma finally resigned as minister but he still continues to be a BJP legislator. He knows that no action can be taken against him under the anti-defection law as long as he stays in the party. If he is sacked, he will continue to remain a member of the legislature as Independent.

Sukh Ram with Rahul Gandhi Peeved by the action of Sukh Ram , the BJP has been accusing him of furthering his family’s interests. However, the ruling party has no moral right to criticise him or take umbrage over his action as it sacrificed its principles at the altar of political expediency and took his support more than once to gain power in the hill state. When Sukh Ram dynasty crossed over to BJP on the eve of Assembly poll, its leaders termed it a master stroke. By readily agreeing to grant ticket to Aashray Congress has given the BJP a taste of its own medicine.

The BJP had stalled Parliament for several days in the wake of telecom scam to force ouster of Sukh Ram from the Narsimha Rao Cabinet. The party also raised the issue in Vidhan Sabha to pin down Congress o the issue of corruption. Sacked from Congress Sukh Ram formed his own party Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) to contest 1998 Assembly polls.

The division of Congress votes resulted in a hung assembly with HVC winning five seats, Congress 31 seats and BJP 29 seats in 68- member house. Sukh Ram turned into a king-maker from a scamtainted leader overnight as BJP, which was desperate to form a government, bent backwards and accepted all the conditions of Sukh Ram to have an alliance. In 2003 assembly election Sukh Ram retained his Mandi seat but his party HVC was decimated. The supremo joined Congress in the run up to 2004 Lok Sabha polls and his son Anil Sharma won the seat as Congress candidate in 2007 and 2012 assembly polls.

Suresh Chandel Sukhwinder Singh A former State BJP chief and t h r e e - t i m e MP Suresh Chandel also tried to strike a deal with the Congress to get ticket f r o m H a m i r p u r seat but it did not matrialise. He won the seat in 1998, 1999 and 2004 but he had to quit after he figured in cash-forquestion. With Dhumal’s cricketer son firmly entrenched Suresh Chandel saw no future in BJP and tried to get the Congress ticket. The deal was almost clinched but exPCC chief Sukhwinder Singh stalled his entry at the last minute.

The stakes are already high for first-time chief minister Jai Ram and with Sukh Ram joining the rival party his leadership will be put to a severe test. The BJP has fielded sitting MP Ram Swaroop from the seat to take on Aashray in what promises to be a tough encounter.

As election will be held in the state in the last phase on May 19 electioneering is yet to pick up. With no dearth material, manpower and other resources BJP has taken the lead in poster war and it is carrying out a systematic campaign by organizing election meetings starting from polling booth level upwards. The Congress is still in the process of putting its house in order. Newly appointed PCC Chief Kuldeep Rathore is working overtime to persuade senior leaders like Virbhadra Singh to give up their personal rivalries and campaign for all the party candidates.

Virbhadra Singh Much will depend on the attitude of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh who has been at loggerheads with Sukh Ram for the past over three decades. In case he sincerely campaigns for Aashray , it will be a different ball game. The BJP is entirely banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeat its 2014 performance.
Riding the Modi wave the BJP made a clean sweep of all the four Lok Sabha seats in 2014 polls. It has changed two of the four sitting MPs on the basis of internal survey conducted by the high command. Virender Kashyap has been replaced from Shimla (Reserved) constituency by sitting MLA from Pacchhad Suresh Kashyap and Krishan Kapoor , sitting MLA from Dharamsala and a minister, has been given ticket from Kangra seat in place of veteran leader Shanta Kumar. Anuraag Thakur has been retained from Hamirpur constituency.

The Congress has also fielded three sitting legislators, Ram Lal Thakur from Hamirpur seat, Kajal from Kangra seat and Dhaniram Shandil from Shimla (SC) seat. There are five sitting MLAs in the fray for the four Lok Sabha seats. Women have been, as usual, handed out a raw deal by the two main parties.

As election will be held in the state in the last phase on May 19, electioneering is yet to pick up. With no dearth material, manpower and other resources BJP has taken the lead in poster war and it is carrying out a systematic campaign by organizing election meetings starting from polling booth level upwards. The Congress is still in the process of putting its house in order. Newly appointed PCC chief Kuldeep Rathore is working overtime to persuade senior leaders like Virbhadra Singh to give up their personal rivalries and campaign for all the party candidates.

Narendra Modi The BJP is entirely banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeat its 2014 performance. The Jairam government is only 16 months old but the loss of even a single seat will be seen as a reflection on its performance and provide ammunition to his detractors within the party who have yet to reconcile to his elevation to the top post.



		EDITOR'S MAIL EDITOR'S COMMENT REALPOLITIK STATE OF POLITY POLL SCENARIO AWAITING RESULTS DYNASTIC DEMOCRACY PUNJAB SCENE STATE OF DRIFT RACE IN BHOPAL HIMACHAL SCENE CIVIL AVIATION 26/11 BACK IN FOCUS SIGNS OF THE TIMES 2002 RIOTS CHANDIGARH DIARY HITS & MISSES A PAGE FROM HISTORY PUNJAB’S PRIDE BOOK BAZAAR BOLLYWOOD AMERICAN FILM DOWN THE MOVIE LANE OBITUARIES ART OF LIVING Issue:January' 2018 Subscribe Now	HIMACHAL SCENE Sukh Ram back in focus Rakesh Lohumi Sukh Ram Dynasty Opportunistic politics of the (BJP) and the Congress, the two mainstream parties, has enabled telecom scam–tainted leader Sukh Ram to call shots in Himachal Pradesh in every election. The nonagenarian leader switched side yet again to further the political career of his grandson Aashray Sharma who has been given ticket by the Congress from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat. It was a replay of the run up to the Assembly polls when the Sukh Ram dynasty deserted the Congress and joined the BJP. His son Anil Sharma, then a minister in the VIrbhadra Singh government, resigned as soon as election was announced and contested from the Mandi assembly seat as a BJP candidate. Pursuing dynastic politics to the hilt, Sukh Ram crossed over to the Congress yet again but only after ensuring ticket for his third generation. Apparently in a hurry to launch his grandson into electoral politics, Sukh Ram deserted the BJP within a short period of 18 months. Rahul Gandhi flanked by Sukh Ram and Aashray Chief Minister Jairam at a rally Jairam at an election meeting The former union minister took the step after the BJP refused ticket to Aashray. It caused much embarrassment to the ruling BJP as Anil Sharma continued as minister in the Jai Ram cabinet and refused to campaign for the BJP. The BJP was put in a spot as Sukh Ram still enjoys considerable support in the Mandi region and the party apprehended that taking action against him might result in an electoral backlash. Moreover, Mandi is the home district of Chief Minister Jai Ram and as such stakes are high for him and the party. It was only after three weeks that Anil Sharma finally resigned as minister but he still continues to be a BJP legislator. He knows that no action can be taken against him under the anti-defection law as long as he stays in the party. If he is sacked, he will continue to remain a member of the legislature as Independent. Sukh Ram with Rahul Gandhi Peeved by the action of Sukh Ram , the BJP has been accusing him of furthering his family’s interests. However, the ruling party has no moral right to criticise him or take umbrage over his action as it sacrificed its principles at the altar of political expediency and took his support more than once to gain power in the hill state. When Sukh Ram dynasty crossed over to BJP on the eve of Assembly poll, its leaders termed it a master stroke. By readily agreeing to grant ticket to Aashray Congress has given the BJP a taste of its own medicine. The BJP had stalled Parliament for several days in the wake of telecom scam to force ouster of Sukh Ram from the Narsimha Rao Cabinet. The party also raised the issue in Vidhan Sabha to pin down Congress o the issue of corruption. Sacked from Congress Sukh Ram formed his own party Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) to contest 1998 Assembly polls. The division of Congress votes resulted in a hung assembly with HVC winning five seats, Congress 31 seats and BJP 29 seats in 68- member house. Sukh Ram turned into a king-maker from a scamtainted leader overnight as BJP, which was desperate to form a government, bent backwards and accepted all the conditions of Sukh Ram to have an alliance. In 2003 assembly election Sukh Ram retained his Mandi seat but his party HVC was decimated. The supremo joined Congress in the run up to 2004 Lok Sabha polls and his son Anil Sharma won the seat as Congress candidate in 2007 and 2012 assembly polls. Suresh Chandel Sukhwinder Singh A former State BJP chief and t h r e e - t i m e MP Suresh Chandel also tried to strike a deal with the Congress to get ticket f r o m H a m i r p u r seat but it did not matrialise. He won the seat in 1998, 1999 and 2004 but he had to quit after he figured in cash-forquestion. With Dhumal’s cricketer son firmly entrenched Suresh Chandel saw no future in BJP and tried to get the Congress ticket. The deal was almost clinched but exPCC chief Sukhwinder Singh stalled his entry at the last minute. The stakes are already high for first-time chief minister Jai Ram and with Sukh Ram joining the rival party his leadership will be put to a severe test. The BJP has fielded sitting MP Ram Swaroop from the seat to take on Aashray in what promises to be a tough encounter. As election will be held in the state in the last phase on May 19 electioneering is yet to pick up. With no dearth material, manpower and other resources BJP has taken the lead in poster war and it is carrying out a systematic campaign by organizing election meetings starting from polling booth level upwards. The Congress is still in the process of putting its house in order. Newly appointed PCC Chief Kuldeep Rathore is working overtime to persuade senior leaders like Virbhadra Singh to give up their personal rivalries and campaign for all the party candidates. Virbhadra Singh Much will depend on the attitude of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh who has been at loggerheads with Sukh Ram for the past over three decades. In case he sincerely campaigns for Aashray , it will be a different ball game. The BJP is entirely banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeat its 2014 performance. Riding the Modi wave the BJP made a clean sweep of all the four Lok Sabha seats in 2014 polls. It has changed two of the four sitting MPs on the basis of internal survey conducted by the high command. Virender Kashyap has been replaced from Shimla (Reserved) constituency by sitting MLA from Pacchhad Suresh Kashyap and Krishan Kapoor , sitting MLA from Dharamsala and a minister, has been given ticket from Kangra seat in place of veteran leader Shanta Kumar. Anuraag Thakur has been retained from Hamirpur constituency. The Congress has also fielded three sitting legislators, Ram Lal Thakur from Hamirpur seat, Kajal from Kangra seat and Dhaniram Shandil from Shimla (SC) seat. There are five sitting MLAs in the fray for the four Lok Sabha seats. Women have been, as usual, handed out a raw deal by the two main parties. As election will be held in the state in the last phase on May 19, electioneering is yet to pick up. With no dearth material, manpower and other resources BJP has taken the lead in poster war and it is carrying out a systematic campaign by organizing election meetings starting from polling booth level upwards. The Congress is still in the process of putting its house in order. Newly appointed PCC chief Kuldeep Rathore is working overtime to persuade senior leaders like Virbhadra Singh to give up their personal rivalries and campaign for all the party candidates. Narendra Modi The BJP is entirely banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeat its 2014 performance. The Jairam government is only 16 months old but the loss of even a single seat will be seen as a reflection on its performance and provide ammunition to his detractors within the party who have yet to reconcile to his elevation to the top post.