POLITICAL TEMPERATURE in Shimla, state capital of Himachal Pradesh is high in this winter season. Dhumal-led ruling BJP government is in trouble due to dissidence within the party and high command is active to sort out the matter amicably.

According to party sources, BJP’s national president Nitin Gadkari has asked party leader JP Nadda and Shayam jaju to visit the shimla next week to interact with party functionaries to take stock of the situation. Earlier in Delhi, Gadkari met with Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Rajya Sabha MP and party national vice-president Shanta Kumar in the presence of party leaders Shyam Jaju and JP Nadda and discussed the matter.

Meanwhile, Jagat Parkash Nadda, confirmed that he, along with Jaju, would hold consultations with Dhumal, Shanta, ministers, MLAs and senior party men to ensure better coordination between the party and the government.“This being an election year, we need to galvanise the party cadres for which we will seek everyone’s suggestions and opinion,” he was quoted by The Tribune.

On the other hand Chief Minister Dhumal said the meeting took place in a very cordial atmosphere."I can't comment on the organisational matter, but all I can say is that BJP national general secretary JP Nadda and Himachal in-charge Shyam Jaju will be visiting the State and will hold discussions with party workers," said Dhumal.

Party sources stated that the meeting started at Gadkari's residence at around 9 pm after Nadda returned from Varanasi and continued till around 12am. Detailed discussions took place about the dissidents who had quit the party recently and floated a new outfit Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP).

It was decided in the meeting that party's general secretary Jai Prakash Nadda and Himachal in-charge Shyam Jaju will visit the State and hold discussions with the dissidents, MLAs, party leaders and workers, and apprise the Central leadership on priority basis.

Party sources said that Nadda and Jaju will be arriving in the State on a three-day visit from February 12-February 14. They will also focus on bridging the gap between the party workers and Government and try to establish better coordination among all.

Sources said that Gadkari was really annoyed with the development and even issued several directions for damage control and make efforts to bring the dissidents back to party fold again. On the question whether party is looking forward to bringing back the dissidents, Dhumal said that all of them would be welcomed back into the party and several others will also follow suit.

Meanwhile, HLP leader and former Speaker Radha Raman Shastri said that the State body of the newly created outfit will be formed in next fortnight and they will be applying to Election Commission for party symbol."We will try to contest on 68 Assembly seats in upcoming election and will maintain equal distance from both Congress and BJP. Our membership drive will also start shortly," said Shastri.