It’s Modi again in 2 HP bypolls
SHIMLA: First, it was 2017 Assembly polls and then May 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Ruling BJP, once again, is all set to seek votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Dharamshala and Pacchad bypolls, slated for October 21.
Both seats had fallen vacant on the election of Krishan Kapoor, earlier a sitting minister in the Jai Ram Thakur government and Suresh Kashyap, also a two-time MLA to the Parliament.
“In Himachal Pradesh, during the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP created history by polling nearly 70 per cent votes, highest vote share in any state, to win all four Lok Sabha seats. Kangra Lok Sabha seat won by Krishan Kapoor polled 4.77 lakh votes. The credit for the BJP'S overall victory on 303 seats goes to PM Modi and Amit Shah,” said the Chief Minister.
He listed out Modi's flagship schemes like Jandhan, Ayushuman Bharat, Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ujjawal yojana as major game changers for the BJP. “I appeal to people in two assembly constituencies, which are going to witness bypoll, to support BJP in order to ensure that benefits of such schemes condition to change their lives,” Thakur said in Shimla.
The BJP has fielded two new faces Vishal Nehriya, a young Gaddi leader from Dharamshala and Reena Kashyap, a former Zila Parishad member from Pacchad for upcoming bypoll. Both the candidates, especially Kashyap, are facing a strong rebellion in their areas that have made the task bit tough for the party poll managers.
At Pacchad, Ashish Sikta, who was a strong contender for the ticket as also being Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader has already filed the nomination papers as an independent candidate against Kashyap.
Now, the Congress may have more or less stemmed the rebellion at Dharamshala as well as Pacchad but the party's internal squabbles will surely remain its weakest point. The
local leadership also lacks a connect at the ground level.
The Congress in a way also seems to be a victim of trapshooting as it also wants to target Modi in the polls.
The PCC delegation led by AICC incharge Rajini Patil on Tuesday went to state Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and submitted a memorandum high
lighting country's economic situation, which has become a cause of serious concern.
The party demanded that the country must revert to policies of Manmohan Singh to overcome the economic crisis and arrest falling GDP. Nevertheless, Congress wants to built-up campaign against Modi, not the state-specific issues. If so, the BJP will be at a major advantage. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had scored overwhelming support as its vote share went up to 69.11 pc against 53.85 in 2014 polls. The Congress' vote share dropped by 13.77 percentage points from 41.07 percent in 2014, to 27.3 percent.
Thus, the BJP is back with its Modi card.