By IANS,
Shimla : The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh is trying to woo back its rebel, fearing that he might dent the party’s vote bank in the Jawali assembly by-election scheduled Nov 7.
BJP rebel Madan Sharma, who was denied party ticket from Jawali, filed his nomination papers for the bypoll as an independent candidate.
State BJP chief Khimi Ram said Tuesday that there was no harm in convincing Sharma to return to the party.
“The doors (of the party) are still open for him,” Khimi Ram said.
Sharma is the elder brother of Kangra MP Rajan Sushant, who was trying to get the BJP ticket from Jawali for his wife, Sudha Sushant.
Two assembly seats in Himachal — Rohru and Jawali — fell vacant after legislators Virbhadra Singh and Sushant contested and won the Lok Sabha elections in May.
Sharma has accused Sushant of favouring “weak candidate” Baldev Raj Chaudhary for Jawali after the party refused to give a ticket to his wife.
“The allotment of ticket to weak candidate Baldev Raj was under pressure from Sushant,” he told IANS.
Sharma said he is still a primary member of the BJP.
The Congress has fielded former minister Sujan Singh Pathania from Jawali.
Eight candidates are in the fray for the two assembly seats.