'BJP WILL BUCK THE TREND IN HIMACHAL THIS TIME'

BJP Himachal in-charge and senior party leader, Avinash Rai Khanna says there is no anti-incumbency against the state government.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

BJP Himachal in-charge and senior party leader Avinash Rai Khanna, while speaking to The Sunday Guardian, said that the people of Himachal Pradesh have voted to change the decade-sold trend of replacing the government after every five years. Khanna believes that BJP will come back to power.

On the question of who will be the CM if the party wins, he said that the call will be made by the central leadership. He spoke on the rebel crisis and the reports of internal conflicts between the central and state leaderships.

Edited excerpts:

Q: It is being alleged that tickets were denied to BJP leaders not because of any genuine surveys, but due to interference from top state leaders who are now at the Centre.

A: It did not happen this way. Please understand we contested the elections in order to form the government, so why would we deny tickets to winning candidates or use a false excuse to deny tickets to anyone? Our main survey pool is the party workers and all tickets were denied on the basis of what we were told by the workers. All these feedback was taken in writing that is the level of detailed effort that we have put in Himachal.

Q: There are talks that there was internal rivalry between two central leaders and Union ministers that has likely impacted the party's performance. There was groupism at play?

A: As an in-charge of the state, I can tell you that from senior leaders to booth workers, everyone has worked together for the party's cause. Leaders have gone from one place to another as per the worker's demand. Ticket distribution was done through consensus.

Q: In many states, sitting BJP CMs have been changed before the election or even after the party has won under the said CM. Will that happen in the state if the BJP wins on 8 December?