BJP attracts more and more HLP leaders ahead of LS polls

With the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) leadership refusing to merge it with parent outfit BJP, a host of its leaders and supporters are now coming back to the saffron fold.
The BJP Himachal Pradesh state unit started wooing individual HLP leaders after the merger talks failed.
About two dozen HLP leaders, along with their followers, have so far rejoined BJP. Senior HLP leader from Shimla Khusi Ram Balnatah, who had won the Rohroo Assembly seat represented by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in the 2010 by-elections, is also all set to rejoin the parent party.
Former MLA from Jaswan-Pragpur seat Navin Dhiman and two other leaders -- Nand Lal and Kukku who had contested from Ani and Nagrota Assembly segments -- have also announced their decision to rejoin BJP.

The HLP was formed by a breakaway group of BJP ahead of the 2012 Assembly polls. Though only HLP president Maheshwar Singh won the Assembly polls, its candidates made serious dent in BJP's vote bank in several other constituencies and become instrumental in ousting the party from power.
The party had also opposed BJP nominee in the Mandi Lok Sabha by-elections, which helped Congress candidate Pratibha Singh win by a margin of over 1.34 lakh votes.
The re-entry of HLP leaders is being done in phases and functions are being organised in respective parliamentary constituencies to mark their re-induction, said a BJP leader.