Ease of business

“Also, the report only looks at processes and not at numbers, so disruptions such as demonetisation go unnoticed.”

The opposition Congress party too wasn’t impressed.

“Ease of doing business has become cease of doing business for MSMES under Modi government,” said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, referring to small and medium businesses that hurt from last year’s demonetisation and a new goods and services tax rolled out in July.

“The BJP government is clutching at straws to stay afloat as it sinks the economy and hurts trade and businesses.”

Analysts say the next paradigm shift to the top 50 on the global benchmark is still a long way ahead and will require India to maintain strong momentum.

“There is a need to continue to work on other areas including starting a business, trading across borders as well as land reforms,” Nilaya Varma, a partner at KPMG India, said. Dhumal may be the BJP’S choice because several leaders close to him had been given tickets for the polls.

Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Naresh Chauhan criticised the BJP for delaying the announcement of its chief ministerial face. “Declaring the name of the chief ministerial candidate is an integral part of poll campaigning. The BJP’S strategy was only hurting the confidence of its election managers,” he said.

Shah’s announcement is being seen by insiders as a setback to Union health minister JP Nadda, a 56-year-old Brahmin leader from Shimla. He was reportedly turned down for not having a substantial voter base.

The BJP, as part of its poll strategy, had not named its chief ministerial choices in the Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh elections.

“The Himachal Pradesh campaign will hinge on Dhumal’s performance during his last stint as the chief minister,” a BJP leader said in New Delhi. “He will figure prominently in party posters now, along with Modi and Shah.”

Until now, Dhumal was one of four faces – along with Nadda, party MP Shanta Kumar and state BJP president Satpal Satti – on electoral posters and pamphlets.