HP electoral battle

The Congress’ morale-boosting victory in the Lok Sabha and Assembly byelections in Himachal Pradesh a year ago served as an early warning to the ruling BJP of the discontent prevalent on the ground. Course correction was but inevitable for the Jai Ram Thakur government after the crushing defeat in 2021. On November 12, it faces the electoral test that will decide whether it can reverse the hill state’s tradition of changing regimes every five years. The BJP managed to achieve the feat of retaining power in neighbouring Uttarakhand earlier this year, but like there, in Himachal too, Prime Minister Modi will be required to shoulder the burden. He’s already hit the campaign trail, announcing development projects. But it does say a lot about the state leadership if the Modi factor is perceived as its best bet.

For the Himachal Congress, any such dependence on the central leadership has seldom proved to be an attractive proposition. The late Virbhadra Singh’s domineering presence ensured that the regional power structure was not disturbed. His absence will be felt by the party. Infighting remains a key concern; ticket distribution presents a challenge. Still, the Congress has proved to be a formidable Opposition, and has set sights on springing a surprise. The surprise element is associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, too. It promises to punch above its weight with a tight three-cornered contest. There is a big question mark on how that pans out, but the party still has the potential to undercut votes of either of the two big contenders.

Local concerns have always dominated the political discourse and election campaigns in Himachal, particularly issues concerning government staff and apple growers. The same urgency is witnessed during the proceedings of the 68-member Legislative Assembly. All eyes will be on the counting day, December 8.

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