Five reasons why Cong lost to BJP in Himachal
SHIMLA: The BJP pulled off a stunning victory in Himachal on 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 FLIPPING PARTIES
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 Dhumal, state unit president Satpal Singh Satti and former minister Gulab Singh Thakur, are among the party bigwigs who fell. As for the Congress, most of its ministers and chief parliamentary secretaries have lost.
BJP’S ORGANISED CAMPAIGN
Unlike the Congress, the BJP ran an organised campaign. Leading from the front was PM Narendra Modi 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-incumbency due to sloppy governance, unemployment and deteriorating law and order. Virbhadra 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 GST and demonetisation its central planks. While Virbhadra focused on development, the emphasis of most Central leaders, including Rahul , was on these two key economic decisions of the Modi 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 TILTED THE SCALES
The BJP’s comeback has been made possible by tremendous support it received in Kangra 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 Kangra, 11 have gone to the BJP. The party won nine of 10 seats in Mandi, wiping out the faction-ridden Congress.