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Himachal Pradesh Elections: It’s V-Day, and there’s a lot at stake in the hills
Himachal Pradesh Elections 2022: Battle of prestige for many BJP and Congress heavyweights like BJP national president Jagat Parkash Nadda, CM Jai Ram Thakur, Congress state chief Pratibha Singh, Congress legislature party leader Mukesh Agnihotri and party’s campaign in-charge Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu
The elections to the Himachal Pradesh assembly on November 12 hold a lot at stake for senior political leaders of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress. For some of them, the election could well be the last of their political careers. Apart from the hills of Himachal, BJP and Congress are also engaged in a bitter poll battle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state – Gujarat. The results of both states are going to be declared on December 8.
The polls are a litmus test for national president Jagat Parkash Nadda since Himachal is his home state and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s key man had been at the forefront, drawing up the party’s poll strategy, ticket allocation and then quelling the rebellion (though he did not attain much success in that). BJP is eying to break the trend of alternating government with its slogan “Rivaz badlo”. BJP heavily relies on Modi’s charisma, who visited the state four times, and the strength of a double-engine government.
The Saffron Party’s entire top brass was in Himachal at one point or another right from PM to home minister Amit Shah, with Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari along with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath campaigning for the party. Apart from Nadda, the election is a test of sorts for the four-time Lok Sabha member Anurag Thakur, who hails from Himachal and holds important information and broadcasting ministry in the Modi government. Thakur is the youth icon of the party.
Nadda, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, has camped in Himachal for more than three weeks, flew to every nook and corner of the state, addressing rallies and taking feedback from the party leaders and taking on the responsibility to steer the party to victory. The outcome of the elections will have a direct bearing on Nadda’s stature in the party. Apart from Nadda, who is known for his political skills, the results of the assembly election will be considered a referendum on the Modi factor ahead of the Lok Sabha election in 2024.
If the party wins, the credit will go to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and party chief Jagat Parkash Nadda. If the party loses, the onus too will be on them.
But Nadda insisted that the party will win both the states –Himachal and Gujarat. “Not Himachal, I have attached every election with my prestige,” Nadda said.
The result will be also a decisive factor in CM Jairam Thakur’s political career. Thakur, 57, has won the last five elections from his traditional Seraj assembly segment, which was earlier known as Chachiot, before the reorganisation.
Jai Ram became the party’s choice after former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal faced an unexpected defeat from Sujanpur in the 2017 assembly polls. His appointment marked a generational shift in the state’s politics. Despite his weak grip over bureaucracy, he managed to pull the state with much support from the central leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who often describes Himachal as his second home, visited Himachal 13 times. Thakur remains the party’s face in the elections but has a daunting task of breaking the long-ingrained trend of the alternating government in the state. He is seeking votes on the double engine growth. He exuberated confidence that his party will regain power. “We have worked and sought the votes on development and the strength of double engine government. People of the state know the fact,” Jai Ram said.
Congress, on the other hand, banked heavily on the anti-incumbency factor. The party is facing a leadership vacuum in the state. It has many claimants for chief ministerial candidates.
Congress couldn’t match the blitz of BJP’s high-octane campaign but its leaders led a spirited campaign to woo the electorate with both central and state leaders pitching in.
This for the first time that the party will go to elections without its stalwart Virbhadra Singh, who passed away last year. A lot is at stake for Congress state chief Pratibha Singh, who won against all odds in the by-elections for Mandi parliamentary seat last year. Pratibha, the widow of Virbhadra Singh, had been the star campaigner of the party travelling across the state. Congress’s victory in the polls will consolidates her leadership in the party and also her claims for the CM’s post. An adverse result could further put a question mark on her ability to lead the party.
Make or break for Mukesh, Sukhu
Congress legislature party leader Mukesh Agnihotri is contesting his fifth election from the Haroli assembly segment in the Una district. Journalist-turned-political leader Mukesh has been chief parliamentary secretary and industries minister in Virbhadra Singh’s government in 2002 and 2012. The party’s campaign in-charge Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, head of the campaign panel, is also in the fray for the fifth time. Sukhu has won three times and lost to BJP’s Vijay Agnihotri, once. He is again facing Vijay Agnihotri from Nadaun. Sukhu during the campaign took every opportunity to project himself as a candidate for the top post in the state.
Agriculture minister Virender Kanwar is also contesting for the fifth time. He has never lost an election from Kutlehar. Urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj, who represented Shimla urban constituency, has been shifted to the nearby Kasumpti seat.
Age not by their side
There are many veterans in the fray. The elections could inarguably be the last of their political career. Among the seniors in the fray are Col Dhani Ram Shandil (retd), 82, of the Congress from Solan; Chandra Kumar, 78, of the Congress from Jawali; Gangu Ram Musafir, 77, an independent from Pachhad; Kaul Singh Thakur, 76, of the Congress from Drang; Thakur Singh Bharmouri, 75, of the Congress from Bharmour and Kishori Lal, 75, of the Congress from Baijnath.
Rebel factor
The two main political parties - Congress and the BJP had to deal with the rebel factor too. Though both parties tried to quell the rebellion, it can queer the pitch for both of them. BJP has 23 rebels in the fray. There are about ten of them, who have the potential to give sleepless nights to the official candidates. There are half a dozen rebels of Congress in the fray.
