Five reasons why Cong lost to BJP in Himachal
SHIMLA: The BJP pulled off a stunning victory in Him ac halon Monday, trouncing the Congress. While the BJP was expected to return to power from the beginning, its seat tally is impressive. It missed the two-thirds majority in the 68-strong assembly by a whisker. And, there is a jump of 10 percentage points in vote share which has gone up to 48.8% from 38.47% in 2012 .
VOTERS TENDENCY OF FLIPPINGPARTIES
Known for changing governments every five years, the electors in the hill state did it again. They sent the Congress packing. Though the BJP scored a stunning victory in the direct fight, it has been left with a bloody nose. Its CM candidate Prem Kumar D hum al, state unit president Satpal Sing hS at ti and former min ist erGu lab Singh Thakur, are among the party big wigs who fell. As for the Congress, most of its ministers and chief parliamentary secretaries have lost.
BJP’SORGANISED CAMPAIGN
Unlike the Congress, the B JP ran an organised campaign. Leading from the front was PM Na rend ra Mo di who addressed half-a-dozen rallies in the state. Targeting the Congress on corruption, unemployment and crime, he set an aggressive tone for the campaign. Besides BJP national chief Amit Shah, several central ministers and CMs were also drafted. The Congress campaign paled in comparison with Rahul Gandhi addressing only three rallies on November 6, a day before campaigning came to an end.
ANTI-INCUMBENCY, FACTIONALISM
Though voters kept their cards close to their chest throughout the election campaign, the Congress was up against a strong undercurrent of anti-incum- ben cy due to sloppy governance, unemployment and deteriorating law and order. Vi rb had ra tried to turn things around, running his campaign on development, but did not get much help from ministerial colleagues who remained confined to their own constituencies and lost.
GST, DEMONETISATION
The Congress made the G ST and demonetisation its central planks.While Virbhadrafocused on development, the emphasis of most Central leaders, including Rahul,wa son these two key economic decisions of the Mo di government. Similarly, Congress spokespersons and other leaders heavily counted on the “resentment” against GST to work for the party, but failed to get the expected response.
KANGRA,MANDI TILTEDTHESCALES
The BJP’s comeback has been made possible by tremendous support it received in Kan gr a and Mandi having 25 assembly segments. The party notched big gains in the two districts which account for more than a third of the assembly seats in state assembly. Of the 15 assembly constituencies in Kan gr a ,11 have gone to the B JP. The party won nine of 10 seats in Man di, wiping out the fact ion-ridden Congress.