Mandi Lok Sabha by-election in poll-weary Himachal

Himachal Pradesh has the largest number of government employees in India

As if we didn't have enough of the election commission's model code of conduct in the recent Himachal Pradesh assembly elections which lasted for a record quarter last year (Oct -Dec 2012).

And now we have this election model code in force again, and so no policy decisions and major development work can happen until the votes of the Mandi Lok Sabha seat by election are counted .

An awkward Virbhadra Singh Congress government had barely found its feet. Almost half a year after snatching power from arch-rival BJP in late December, things had starting moving.

All agree in the hills that the little development work that happens is in the few dry summer months, rest of the year passes leisurely by in a state that has the largest number of government employees. And moving all of them to work is often a Herculean task for any government .

So by the time the poll code is lifted ,the monsoon will be here in full fury and roads which are the lifeline of the hill state cannot be built or repaired until October .

And October to April is always hibernation time in the prolonged winter season here and outdoor work is always postponed till the summer.

So now this government will conveniently go back into sleep mode until the Mandi results are declared and the model code of conduct is lifted.

The country's second largest Lok Sabha seat Mandi covers over a third of Himachal Pradesh which is larger than neighbouring Punjab and Haryana .

The poll weary and fatigued hill folk may not be excited by this by poll which has Pratibha Singh of the Congress against Jai Ram Thakur of the BJP .

Pratibha won the seat in 2004 and she is the wife of chief minister Virbhadra Singh .

On the other hand Jai Ram is an upcoming BJP leader and former minister in the PK Dhumal government .

And what if there is an early Lok Sabha poll at the end of this year , then Mandi will again go to the polls with the rest of the country!