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BJP fights uphill MC poll battle in Himachal as campaign ends today
Party candidates face rebels in Mandi, Dharamshala and Palampur; Bindal credited with keeping Solan house in order
Party candidates face rebels in Mandi, Dharamshala and Palampur; Bindal credited with keeping Solan house in order
Himachal Pradesh is seeing a no-holds-barred poll battle as electioneering for the municipal corporation elections drew to a close on Monday evening.
The civic bodies of Dharamshala, Mandi, Solan and Palampur go to the polls on April 7. Dharamshala will elect its civic body for the second time, while the other three corporations are newly formed.
The stakes are high for the ruling BJP, particularly CM Jai Ram Thakur in his hometown of Mandi, as the saffron party looks to continue its winning streak in the elections. Capturing the Mandi MC is not a cakewalk for the BJP in the face of rebellion by local MLA Anil Sharma, a former state power minister, who refused to campaign for the party.
Sharma, the son of former Union telecom minister Sukh Ram, holds sway in Mandi town. The BJP faces revolt in six of the 15 wards in Mandi, where party candidates are pitted against rebels contesting as independents.
State BJP chief Suresh Kashyap is confident of winning the election in all four MCs. He said the people have given a mandate in assembly, Lok Sabha and panchayat elections for the “pro-people polices” of the state government and this winning streak would continue.
The Congress is a leaderless party which, foreseeing its defeat, has resorted to “cheap politics” of commenting against the chief minister, he added.
BJP rebels queer the pitch in Dharamshala
In Dharamshala too, the BJP is locked in a tough battle with the Congress and the rebels are ready to queer the pitch for the ruling party. Jai Ram Thakur has campaigned with all his might on his home turf but the voters in the rural areas that were merged in the Mandi MC are opposed to the government.
While the Congress entrusted its election campaign to former Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma, the BJP roped in firebrand minister Rakesh Pathania. To ensure its victory, the party brought in its troubleshooter and former Naina Devi legislator Randhir Sharma and Union minister of state for finance Anurag Thakur in the last leg.
The rebels are contesting in 10 of the town’s 17 wards. The party faces charges of intimidating independent candidates.
While the Congress hopes to retain the Dharamshala MC citing development works, the BJP has charged it with corruption and delay in execution of the Central University project.
In Palampur, the BJP has to contend with rebellion as the party’s troubleshooters failed to convince the rebels to withdraw their candidature.
Sudhir Sharma said the development was Congress’ main poll plank whereas the BJP has nothing to list as achievement and thus was misleading people by levelling baseless allegations.
He said the Congress will win Dharamshala MC with a thumping majority.
Water shortage main poll issue in Solan
Solan is the only corporation where the BJP house is in order. Former state party chief and ex-Speaker Rajeev Bindal, who has represented Solan in the assembly twice, is being largely credited for better management. Water shortage in the town is top on the agenda of both the BJP and the Congress.
Bindal said Jai Ram Thakur was familiar with the problems in Solan town. He said the Congress has done nothing for Solan and the BJP will win all the 17 wards in the elections.
