Congress is leading in Himachal Pradesh in a close competition with the ruling BJP.
Shimla/New Delhi:
Kripal Parmar, a BJP rebel in Himachal Pradesh who did not give up his candidacy even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called to report, was behind in the Fatehpur seat.
Congress is leading in Himachal Pradesh in a close competition with the ruling BJP.
Mr. Parmar, a former BJP congressman, is among the rebels who appear to have dragged down the BJP vote in the hill state that has traditionally rejected any party seeking a second term.
The 63-year-old independent is struggling for 3rd place in the constituency, with BJP’s Rakesh Pathania leading in a close race with congressional candidate Bhavani Singh Pathania.
Reports suggest that Prime Minister Modi tried to persuade Mr. Parmar to resign. The alleged rebel phone call with the Prime Minister went viral.
Mr Parmar has been unhappy with his party since last year, when he was not selected for a by-election in Fatehpur.
He blamed BJP president JP Nadda, his former classmate at school, for revolting, accusing him of “insulting me for 15 years”.
He said this to Prime Minister Modi in a purported phone call that was never officially confirmed by the BJP or the Prime Minister’s Office.
Prime Minister Modi’s voice on the call: “Don’t underestimate the value of this phone call”. Mr. Parmar replied: “I don’t. This phone call to me is a message from God.”
Talking to NDTV, Mr. Parmar confirmed that the call was not fake and that Prime Minister Modi actually called him on October 30.
“We have known each other for 25 years. When he (Prime Minister Modi) was in charge of Himachal Pradesh and I was vice president, we traveled and stayed together a lot. I have a family relationship with him. . I consider him my God,” said the rebel.
About 30 rebels vie for official BJP candidates in the 68-seat state.
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