In Himachal, BJP, Congress await result with bated breath
SHIMLA: For such a small place, the significance the hill state of Himachal Pradesh has for the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is huge.
The two parties, which ran a high-voltage campaign to win over the 50 lakh-odd voters in a direct fight, are waiting with bated breath for the outcome of counting of votes on Monday to elect a new assembly. And, it has been a long wait, as the polling was held on November 9.
A clutch of exit polls have predicted a big win for the BJP, but leaders of both sides say they are confident of the victory.
The stakes have never been higher for them. The BJP, gung ho after its wins in several states, sees itself as the “natural claimant” this time with veteran leader Prem Kumar Dhumal as its CM face due to the revolving-door electoral history of the state in the past three decades. The party is looking to continue its victory march and expand its political footprint with just a little over a year to go for general elections.
The wager for the ruling Congress is equally high, if not more. Pegged back by the pounding it has received in election after election since the 2014 Lok Sabha debacle with the exception of neighbouring Punjab, the party desperately needs to wrest back the initiative. A win here would serve as a big morale booster for the party rank and file. Also, Rahul Gandhi, who took over as president of Congress on Saturday, would be hoping to start his innings with some positive news.
For chief minister Virbhadra Singh also, the stakes are high. Virbhadra and his family are facing
cases pertaining to corruption and disproportionate assets, which are being investigated by Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax department. His son, Vikramaditya, is also making his electoral debut from the Shimla rural constituency. Singh vacated the seat for him.
The two traditional rivals went all out in the “battle of prestige”, peppering each other with accusations and indulging in competitive populism like never before. Leading the BJP charge was PM Narendra Modi who targeted Congress and Virbhadra on corruption, deteriorating law and order and joblessness to try and make the most of the undercurrent of anti-incumbency against the ruling party in the state.
Both Congress and BJP have their traditional pockets of strong support, but the polls have shown a tendency to flip parties and punish non-performance. The state saw a record turnout of 75%.