Anti-incumbency wave, infighting did Cong in
Factionalism, charges of corruption and an anti- incumbency wave against the chief minister Virbhadra Singh-led government led to the Congress’ abysmal show in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, leaving the party powerless even in its strongholds.
Congress performance was dismal in the state’s two biggest districts — Kangra and Mandi — and its bastions Shimla and Kullu. The party was shrunk to just one seat in Sirmour district that comprises five assembly segments. The only saving grace was in Solan, where the party claimed three of total five seats, including chief minister Virbhadra Singh win over BJP's Rattan Singh Pal in Arki.
Starting its campaign a year beforetheelectionsgavetheBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a head start, with the party bracing its cadres for the polls by bringing in state as well as national leaders.
Armed with its statewide “Mafia hatao, Pradesh bachao” campaign, the saffron fold launched a blitzkrieg on the party, hitting out at the chief minister’s cases of corruption and disproportionate assets.
Congress’ counter campaign — “Modi ke bol jhumlo ke dhol” — failed to find favour with the masses with Virbhadra shuttling between Delhi and Shimla for cases, leaving governance in the state suffering.
Five years into power, Congress could not get its act together even when the elections were announced. Both the state party chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Virbhadra remained busy outscoring each other, intensifying the ill-timed power struggle ahead of the elections.
Strengthened with a strong organisational background, Sukhu took on the might of Virbhadra, a six-time chief minister, who in turn pushed the high command to remove Sukhu.
The Congress also failed to promote the second line of leadership, who could replace Virbhadra, leaving it with no choice but to rely on its old war horse.
During the ticket allocation, Congress largely retained its sitting legislators and ministers, despite the anti-incumbency factor. Many sitting ministers and Congress big wigs eventually lost.
Congress Rajya Sabha member Viplove Thakur lost from Dehra to independent candidate Hoshiyar Singh. Excise minister Parkash Chaudhary could not retain his seat from Balh, while forest minister Bharmouri, too, lost from Bharmour. Transport minister GS Bali, who contested elections for the fifth time, lost his fort in Nagrota. Urban development minister Sudhir Sharma lost from Dharamshala to former industries minister Kishan Kapoor, while health minister Kaul Singh Thakur and his daughter Champa Thakur could also not taste victory.
Interestingly, except Vinay Kumar and Nand Lal from Rampur Bushahr, all chief parliamentary secretaries — Rohit Thakur, Rajesh Dharmani, Mansa Ram, Jagjivan Pal, Sohan Lal Thakur and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal — could not retain their seats.
The “botched-up” police investigation in the rape and murder of a school girl in Kotkhai and the subsequent custodial death of a Nepalese man, an accused in the case, further aggravated problems for the Congress. The BJP and Communist Party of IndiaMarxist promptly steered public anger against the Congress-led government and police for shoddy probe into the case, further denting the party’s prospects in the impending elections.