Kishan Kapoor, who belongs to theGaddi(shepherd) community which has a significant presence in Kangra that constitutes 17 Assembly segments, started his political journey with Jan Sangh in 1970. (Facebook/Kishan Kapoor)
As Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra goes to polls on June 1, Kishan Kapoor, the incumbent BJP Member of Parliament (MP) who set a record in the 2019 Lok Sabha election with a victory margin of 4.77 lakh votes, has however been overlooked by his party for the 2024 elections. The party has apparently failed to notice the seniority of the 72-year-old and preferred to give the ticket to Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj, without taking Kapoor into confidence, a concern flagged by the five-time MLA from Dharamshala and a three-time cabinet minister during different BJP tenures in the state government.
Kishan Kapoor, who belongs to theGaddi(shepherd) community which has a significant presence in Kangra that constitutes 17 Assembly segments, started his political journey with Jan Sangh in 1970. He is an OBC face of the BJP in Himachal Pradesh. In a conversation withThe Indian Expressat his residence in Khanyara, Dharamshala, Kishan Kapoor speaks on the issues that needed to be projected by the BJP in election campaigns and how to bring more transparency in the party affairs. Excerpts of the conversation:
Q: This time, the BJP overlooked you and gave the ticket to Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj who has also been associated with the party for a long time. Does it hurt you?
Kishan Kapoor:There is no question of getting hurt. Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj is the most deserving candidate among those whose names were shortlisted for the ticket from the Kangra constituency. When Bhardwaj filed his nomination papers, I accompanied him to the office of the Returning Officer in Dharamshala and congratulated him. Indeed, what upset me was the way and manner in which the party picked the candidate without taking me into confidence. Considering my seniority and long-standing association, the party should have at least informed me about its decision to choose a candidate. I was not even aware of the other names on the panel of contenders sent to the high command in Delhi.
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Q: The political temperature of the state is heating up each passing day. Where do you see the campaign of BJP candidates going?
Kapoor:I would like to comment on the campaign in the Kangra parliamentary constituency. Leaders, including our party’s candidate, are talking about new projects such as tourism, industry, and rail connectivity to be brought into this constituency, which includes Chamba district, which was once a most backward area. If you see the track record of my tenure and my predecessors, many big projects, including a four-lane highway from Chamba to Pathankot worth hundreds of crores of rupees, have already been sanctioned. Health facilities were promised and improved. I think our party should also highlight these works during the campaign and tell the people that these projects will be completed soon.
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Q: Why are you not actively participating in the election campaign? In the changing scenario, have your relations with the party also changed?
Kapoor:I was diagnosed with multiple health issues related to my lungs in the past. I underwent intensive surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. After that, I went to Haridwar for Ayurveda treatment. Indeed, these days I am confined to my house, but whenever my party calls me, I attend functions. For instance, party leaders called me for the filing of nomination of our candidate, and I went. My supporters and party workers usually come to see me at my house. I guide them on how to increase the party’s reach to the maximum electors. There is no question of changing my equations with the party. We are the old warriors who dedicate our whole lives to the party.
Q: You belong to the Gaddi (shepherd) community, which dominates the Kangra constituency, and you are considered to be an OBC face of the BJP in Himachal Pradesh. This time the party chose a Brahmin face; how do you see it?
Kapoor:Many times these facts matter, but not always. We have to consider the competence and eligibility of the candidate, irrespective of caste, religion, social status, etc. Indeed, there was an OBC candidate in the panel, but I believe the senior leaders did not find him competent enough to fight the election.
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Q: You have been an MLA from Dharamshala five times and a cabinet minister in Himachal Pradesh thrice. Do you think the functioning of the party (BJP) has changed a lot recently?
Kapoor:Change is inevitable in every organisation; nobody can stop it. If someone says that the party’s functioning has changed, I will agree. There was a time when I went to Delhi and called the office of our senior leader L K Advani, who had been a Union Home Minister, and received a call back from his office within 30 to 40 minutes confirming the appointment. Those days are gone now. I was among the most vocal leaders whenever our party was in the Opposition. Even our state’s longest-serving six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of the Congress had admired me many times for my aggressive approach toward supporting the downtrodden people.
