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BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda's meeting with Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri in Shimla on Friday evening has triggered fresh political speculation, coming just a day after Agnihotri's sharp remarks targeting officials and indirectly the state government during an event marking three years of the Congress administration in Mandi.
Nadda, who arrived in Shimla late Friday, also attended the BJP MLAs' meeting, drove to Agnihotri's official residence for what party sources described as a "courtesy visit." The sources said Nadda could not attend the Deputy CM's family wedding on November 22, and that the meeting was meant as a goodwill gesture. However, the timing, barely 24 hours after Agnihotri's fiery address in Mandi, has added a political edge to the development. Agnihotri's speech on Thursday, in which he warned officials and sent a strong message to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu regarding administrative conduct, has already stirred the state's political circles. Against this backdrop, Nadda's interaction with the Deputy CM has raised questions on the evolving political equations in Himachal Pradesh. Earlier in the evening, Nadda chaired a meeting of BJP legislators in Shimla as part of his two-day visit to his home state. On Saturday, he will perform a 'pooja' and lay the foundation stone for the party's new state headquarters at Majthai village near Shimla. The state BJP has planned a grand 'Abhinandan Samaroh' to welcome Nadda, marking his first visit to Himachal after the party's resounding victory in the Bihar Assembly elections. Though publicly presented as a simple courtesy call, Friday's meeting between Nadda and Agnihotri is being closely watched by political observers, especially as tensions within the ruling Congress are surfacing and the BJP is sharpening its preparations ahead of the next electoral cycle. (ANI)
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