Shimla MP Suresh Kashyap is new BJP state president

NEW DELHI: Putting all speculations to rest, BJP high command on Wednesday appointed prominent dalit face of party and MP from Shimla (SC) seat, Suresh Kumar Kashyap as the new state president of Himachal Pradesh.
Kashyap replaces Rajeev Bindal who had recently resigned on moral grounds following the surfacing of scam in health department in which state vigilance bureau had arrested the then director, health services.
Kashyap, who will celebrate his 49th birthday on Thursday, is known to be a soft-spoken man with the capability to take all factions along besides being an ex-servicemen.
With his appointment, BJP has tried to woo the dalits and ex-servicemen while striking caste and regional balance. Kashyap at present is also the state president of BJP SC Morcha. As per the 2011 census, dalits constitute 25.02% of total population of Himachal Pradesh. State has total 68 assembly seats and dalits play decisive role in 17 assembly constituencies, which are reserved for scheduled caste candidates.
Sources said that appointment of Kashyap as state president was a clever move of BJP high command to strike caste balance and regional balance. As chief minister Jai Ram Thakur comes from Rajput community, having state president from dalit community will give the party an edge in the 2022 assembly elections. Another added advantage is that Suresh Kashyap is an ex-serviceman who served in the Indian Air Force from 1988-2004.
According to sources, the soft spoken image of Kashyap has worked in his favour as he is being seen as a leader who would listen to all within the party and would be acceptable to all. His appointment has also created regional balance within the party, which has general secretaries from Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi parliamentary seats besides chief minister also being from Mandi. Earlier, many names were being taken as probables for the post of president, but party high command has thrown a surprise by choosing Kashyap for the post.
Kashyap had started his political career as Member from Block Development Council from Ppachhad in Sirmaur district from 2005-2010 during which he worked at panchayat level and joined BJP in 2006. Then he became district president of BJP SC Morcha from 2006-2009 and State General Secretary BJP SC Morcha, Himachal Pradesh, 2009-2012.
Before being elected as MP from Shimla parliamentary seat in 2019, Kashyap had remained member of state legislative assembly twice from Pachhad assembly seat of Sirmaur district by winning elections in 2012 and 2017 and both times he had defeated Congress stalwart Gangu Ram Musafir.