HLP to merge with BJP on Aug 14

Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) formed by BJP dissidents ahead of assembly polls in February 2012 is likely to merge with BJP and a formal announcement in this regard would be made at a rally at Kullu.
The HLP president Maheshwar Singh has held detailed talks with BJP leaders and all matters have been sorted out and final announcement about the merger would be made at Kullu on August 14, the party spokesman Gaurav Sharma said.
The senior state BJP leaders also confirmed that the talks are at an advance stage and announcement in this regard would be made shortly.
However, there is no unanimity in the HLP and the party leaders of Solan, Bilaspur and Kangra districts had expressed their reservations and in fact favoured a tie-up with AAP and the party in its meeting at Kullu last month, authorised the party chief to take a final call on the issue.

With the merger of HLP with BJP, the experiment of forming a third front has failed again but the BJP, which saw erosion of its vote bank in the last assembly polls due to HLP candidates would be a gainer.
Maheshwar Singh was one of the tallest leader of the party who was elected thrice to Lok Sabha, won assembly election from Kullu thrice and also remained a Rajya Sabha member.

He was also state BJP chief and had defeated Pratibha Singh, wife of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh from Mandi Parliamentary constituency in 1998.
BJP stalwart and former chief minister Shanta Kumar and some other senior leaders had pleaded for return of Maheshwar Singh and others at the meeting of the party at Kullu last month.

Maheshwar Singh is also the 'Chharibardar' (Chief caretaker) of Lord Raghunathji , presiding deity of over 300 local deities of Kullu valley and wields considerable influence in the region.
His brother, Karan Singh joined the Congress before the assembly polls in 2012 and won from Banjar constituency and is cabinet minister in the present Congress government.