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For first time in decades, HP goes to polls without arch-rivals Dhumal, Virbhadra in fray
Jai Ram’s regime marked a transitional shift in the politics of the hill state, which was centred around former chief ministers Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal for the last three decades
SHIMLA: Electioneering in Himachal is reaching its peak but this will be the first assembly polls in the last three decades where the two main rival parties --the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress-- will be without their veteran leaders at the helm – former chief ministers Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Virbhadra Singh’s, scion of the Rampur Bushar family, political career spanned over six decades, and he was a six-time chief minister. The veteran of many political innings passed away last year after post-Covid-19 complications. His death created a leadership void in the party. The Congress has a battery of second rung leaders but no one has the cult support that Virbhadra Singh enjoyed. Congress appointed his widow Pratibha Singh as party chief. BJP, which is keen on breaking the tradition of alternating government every five years, on the other hand, quietly side-lined former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, who faced an unexpected defeat from Sujanpur from his protégé Rajender Rana in the 2017 assembly polls.
This time his supporters were hopeful of a ticket to him, but much to the surprise of many, Dhumal announced that he would not contest the elections. BJP has not commented on Dhumal’s absence from the fray, but the party did release a picture of national party chief JP Nadda honouring Dhumal with a Himachali cap and a shawl. Dhumal, since then, has been confined to his village in Hamirpur and has rarely moved out to campaign.
Dhumal, who moved from farming to teaching English and then politics, was seen as the common man’s representative -- quite unlike his political rival, a ‘Raja’, who came from an erstwhile kingdom. Gentle, soft-spoken and humble, Dhumal rose from the ranks in the BJP. He helmed the state twice from March 1998 to March 2003, heading the BJP-Himachal Vikas Congress coalition government and then again from January 2008 to December 2012. His supporters say Dhumal’s amiable nature and easy availability are his USPs. An MA in English and a law graduate, he has been a three-time MP and a two-time leader of the opposition in the state. Born into a non-political, farming family on April 10, 1944, in Hamirpur, the son of ex-servicemen taught English in a private college before embracing politics.
On the other hand, Virbhadra won the 2017 elections from Arki, but the party fell way short of the majority. Virbhadra, despite his deteriorating health, remained active in politics till his last breath. A fighter to the core, he single-handedly managed all the party affairs in the state.
He began his political career at 27 with the Lok Sabha elections in 1962. He went on to serve as a member of parliament for four more terms -- in 1967, 1971, 1980 and 2009. His first stint as CM was in 1983 and lasted till 1990 when he was succeeded by Shanta Kumar of the BJP.
He then remained a chief minister in 1993, 2003 and 2012. He had the distinction of winning elections from different assembly segments, Jubbal- Kotkhai, Rohru, Shimla (rural), these days represented by his son Vikramaditya, and Arki
Virbhadra survived nearly every curveball thrown his way, including corruption charges and waning influence within the party. He fought off threats from his party rivals. Affectionate, he listened to people with compassion.
The rivalry between the top two political leaders Virbhadra and Dhumal turned low and dirty towards 2012.
It all started when Virbhadra returned to power in 2012, and Dhumal’s son Anurag Singh Thakur, an MP and head of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) was building a scenic stadium in Dharamshala. Soon after assuming the office, Virbhadra ordered an inquiry into the functioning of HPCA, which was registered under the society act but was later turned into a company taking over the assets.
Meanwhile, BJP hit back questioning Virbhadra’s income tax returns, with then finance minister Arun Jaitely being the first to question the documents.
Jai Ram Thakur’s reign as chief minister marked a transitional shift in the politics of the hill state.
