Shimla, March 11 The BJP is divided into five factions, and the possibility of a third front in the state has always existed, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, when asked about the "secret meetings" of disgruntled leaders ahead of the 2027 assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh.
Sukhu inaugurated a robotic surgery facility at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here on Wednesday and said that there was no shortage of funds for strengthening the health sector in the state.
With around 21 months left for the assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, murmurs of the formation of a third political front against the dominant parties, the Congress and the BJP, following "secret meetings" of disgruntled leaders, mostly former MLAs, have caused ripples in the relatively quiet political waters.
When asked about speculations regarding a new third front in the state, Sukhu said that it had been formed several times in the past, and the possibility of a third front in the state has always existed.
The chief minister said he has been saying for a long time that the BJP is divided into five factions.
A veteran leader said that a recent meeting in the Kullu district, which included more than 20 leaders, suggests the possibility of a new front contesting the 2027 assembly polls.
The emergence of the third front was not a new development, and this experiment has been repeated many times, but it remained a passing phase and failed to stand as a strong third pillar, he said.
In the first assembly election held after the merger of the hilly areas of Punjab in February 1967, the Lok Raj Party, headed by former speaker Thakur Sen Negi, was floated, but it won only two of the 68 seats, with the party disintegrating before the 1977 polls.
Ahead of the 1990 assembly polls, Janta Dal, led by former minister Vijay Singh Mankotia, emerged as the third front, allied with the BJP. During this alliance, the BJP won 47 seats, while the Janta Dal secured 11, relegating the Congress to third position with nine seats.
However, the Janta Dal disintegrated as eight of the eleven MLAs later joined the Congress.
After expulsion from Congress in 1997, former Union communication minister Sukhram formed the Himachal Vikas Congress, winning five seats in the 1990 assembly polls by forging a poll alliance with the BJP.
The alliance cracked ahead of the 2003 assembly polls, and Himachal Vikas Congress went alone, winning only one seat.
In 2012, BJP dissidents led by the scion of Kullu and former state BJP president Maheshwar Singh formed the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), but won only one seat in the 2012 assembly polls; it then merged with the BJP in 2016, with some of its leaders later joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Sukhu inaugurated the robotic surgery facility at IGMC, Shimla, which cost Rs. 28.44 crore. He said the facility would significantly strengthen minimally invasive and advanced surgical procedures in specialties such as general surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, oncology, and gynecology.
It is expected to benefit patients from across the state by providing access to precision-based, advanced surgical care closer to home, he added.
The fee for robotic surgery has been fixed at Rs 50,000 for patients opting for special wards, while those in general wards would be charged Rs 30,000 for the procedure, he said.
The chief minister said that robotic surgery facilities are also available at Chamiyana in Shimla district, Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Kangra, and Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College in Mandi district.
A robotic surgery machine would also be installed at Hamirpur Medical College within the next month, with the state government committed to ensuring that people living in remote and far-flung areas also benefit from robotic surgery.
The government is also considering introducing robotic surgery facilities in Kullu and other major hospitals in far-flung areas of Himachal, he said, adding that there was no shortage of funds for strengthening the health sector in the state.