BJP picks young Satti to lead Himachal unit

“Satti will be new BJP president in Himachal Pradesh and will get the party high command’s full support to reorient and strengthen the party in the light of recent developments. Party president Nitin Gadkari has accepted Khimi Ram’s resignation and cleared Satti’s name for the post,” said BJP national general secretary J P Nadda.

Outgoing state president Khimi Ram assured his full support to Satti. “He is a young leader who is known for his organisational skills from the days he was working as national secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP). I will support him in rebuilding the party and ensuring its return to power in 2012 polls.”

Satti’s name had cropped up during the visit of Nadda and the party’s co-incharge Shayam Jaju,who were sent to Shimla to hold discussions with the party leaders after a breakaway group led by former MP Maheshwar Singh had formed a new political outfit,Himachal Lokhit Party.

However,the latest development has not cheered senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar,who earlier in the day had reportedly told Gadkari that he had decided to disassociate himself from all state organisational affairs in the state. “I am completely out of the picture. No comment from my side,” Kumar told The Indian Express.

Sources said Kumar had also taken a stand not to play any advisory role to the party and would not campaign in the next Assembly polls as mark of protest against the high command’s indifference to the issues of corruption,one-family rule and allegations of illegal land sale in the state.

On Sunday evening,Nadda and Jaju had met Kumar after he returned from Bangkok to discuss the successor of Khimi Ram,who is expected to be inducted into the Dhumal Cabinet later.

Sources said Kumar conveyed his strong displeasure to Nadda for “exceeding his brief” since he along with Jaju was sent to study the mood of the party and submit report to the president. “I am not going to give any suggestion,recommendation and approval on any issue relating to the affairs in Himachal Pradesh. Please excuse me for withdrawing myself from the state matters,” Kumar is said to have told Nadda and Jaju.

Before returning to Delhi,however,Nadda and Jaju gave a clean chit to Dhumal on corruption charges,and said the BJP would go to polls under Dhumal’s leadership.