Himachal Elections: BJP Has Nominated This ‘Chawala’ Instead Of Minister In Shimla Headquarters

Shimla: Shimla (Sadar) is one of the most important constituencies in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. BJP candidate Suresh Bharadwaj was elected from this seat for the last four times. He is also the minister of the state. But, in the upcoming assembly elections, BJP has fielded Sanjay Sood instead of him from this center. Who is this Sanjay Sud? The long-time BJP activist runs a tea shop in Shimla city. It is not clear why this candidate changed.

Sanjay Sood told the news agency ANI that he was born into a very poor family. It was with the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS that he was able to attend school. Learned about Indian culture. After that, he had to sell newspapers at the Shimla bus stand to pursue his college studies. While in college, he joined the Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the RSS. After being a student council member for five years, he had to leave the organization due to financial reasons. And then, in 1991, he opened his own tea shop in Shimla.

The BJP candidate from Shimla (Sadar) also said that no one in his family was involved in politics. However, from a very young age, the ghost of social service was pressed on his mind. During his school days in 1977, he sat in the booth for Janata Party candidate Balakram Kashyap. Since the formation of the BJP in 1980, he has been a staunch soldier of Padma Shibir. He became the leader of the party step by step from an ordinary worker. First became General Secretary of Shimla Sadar Mandal Committee. Then he became the vice president of that committee. He then became BJP’s media in-charge in Shimla district.

While in this position, Sanjay Sood was given a Shimla Municipal Corporation ticket by his party. He served as a counselor twice. Later, he was made the president of the Shimla branch. And this time, the four-time winning candidate and the minister were removed and given the ticket for the assembly elections. Sanjay Sood told ANI, “I am very thankful that BJP has fielded me from a hot seat like Shimla Sadar. I feel like I’m in seventh heaven. It is a great honor for a junior member of the team like me. Today it seems that the decision to work for the BJP was the right one. I will never be able to repay this debt to the party.”

However, the removal of the party’s minister and nomination of him as a candidate has created anger in a section of the party. Suresh Bharadwaj has been removed from the Shimla seat and nominated from the Kasumpti constituency. About this change, the BJP minister said, “It is not mandatory for candidates to change seats in Himachal Pradesh. Certainly, this move is very strange. I am BJP since 1980. Before that, I was also at Janata Party. Kasumpti is not far from Shimla. I know the area. However, it would have been beneficial if this seat change had been announced in advance. Time is very short. There will be some regret if I leave the winning seat, but I am taking the team’s decision head-on.”

However, Sanjay Sood does not care much about the discontent of the minister and his followers. He said, “My truth is, one who has a lotus in his hand, can never be angry. It hurts for a few moments. It’s normal. Disappointment will come if you don’t get what you want. I will meet them all. I believe, in the end, we all will work for the Padma and win the Shimla seat.”