BJP, Congress fight it out as Himachal Pradesh all set to vote on Saturday

Rebels could spoil the party for several official candidates

Elections to the 68 seats of Himachal Pradesh will be held on Saturday. The election is taking place against the background of a severe bypoll defeat for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier this year, the demise of Congress stalwart Virbhadra Singh and the presence of rebels from all parties waiting to spoil the chances of official candidates in a political scene dominated by small constituencies and narrow victory margins.

The Congress had its share of rebels, both from among sitting MLAs and those not contesting. “We are better placed than 2017 because we have taken up issues which are of special concern to the masses — be it unemployment, inflation, the old pension scheme or the Agnipath recruitment scheme,” said Anand Sharma, the 69-year-old leader, who was named in the party’s list of star campaigners, but only after he complained that he had been ignored in the decisionmaking in the campaign.

He added that the party’s campaign planning for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls could have been “much better” with the deployment of senior leaders. Sharma complimented the efforts by Priyanka Gandhi, but said both the BJP and the Congress were to blame for the flagship issue that the Congress used in the campaign, the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) that was introduced by Virbhadra Singh when he was chief minister.

The BJP’s campaign centred around the performance of the state government and Jairam Thakur, who is expected to become the chief minister again if the party comes to power. A large number of rebels are standing against official BJP candidates, an issue Union minister Anurag Thakur conceded. “It’s true this time that a lot of rebels have filed their nominations. Many have been persuaded but there are some who did not withdraw. The high command is certainly aware of it. But, my view is that sometimes, rebels also help. This reality can’t be ignored.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the state several times just before the elections were declared and twice after they were announced. He has focused on the “double engine government” and the way the state benefitted, as also all infrastructural development that has taken place in Himachal as a result of the BJP’s efforts, including a plastics park, land for a new central university and better prices for horticultural produce.

All attention is focused on the outcome of the polling in Kangra district, which sends 16 MLAs to the assembly of 68 and is often described as “the road that leads to Shimla”. Although BJP stalwarts like former chief minister Shanta Kumar who, at a spry 90, is still a respected political figure in the region, have not been fielded in the campaign, the BJP is sure it will sweep Kangra.

The result of the elections, along with those of the Gujarat polls, will be declared on December 8.