Poll Pitches and Political campaign picks up speed in Himachal Pradesh ahead of Assembly polls

The northern Himalayan State, Himachal Pradesh, is slated to go to Assembly polls later this year. The BJP is going all-in with its campaign to come back to power, whereas Congress strategically making decision to avoid another drubbing in the poll.

The new entrant, AAP, is already making headlines by organising two extremely successful political rallies in Mandi and Kangra — the two biggest districts of Himachal Pradesh. Even though the Assembly Election is only later this year, all the major parties, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Congress, and the Bharatiya Janta Party’s political outreach is already increasingly gaining momentum in the hill state.

 AAP’s poll pitch in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the Assembly polls is a promise of an honest government in the State, whereas the Congress members, led by senior party leader and general secretary Kewal Singh Pathania is, banking on BJP’s misgovernance and anti-incumbency factor by raising issues including rising inflation, corruption and increasing unemployment in their political pitches.

The Congress has accused the BJP Governments of framing anti-people policies with the only aim of crushing the poor under the burden of ever high prices of diesel,LPG and petrol. The Congress members and leaders also demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike in domestic gas and fuel prices. While addressing a rally at Shahpur in Kangra district, the Delhi CM accused both the BJP and the Congress of failing to perform despite being given several chances to rule the State over the years.

The Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader has been on the ground in Himachal Pradesh attending all the major rallies ahead of the Polls. The dedicated AAP team working at the ground level were able to bring nearly 10,000 people for the rally of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Chambi ground of Kangra district. AAP lacks a major political face in HP to carry on with their election campaigning, so banking on Arvind Kejriwal’s popularity, the recent Punjab win and the Delhi Model of Governance is their best bet.

 Congress is also not far behind AAP in holding rallies. The party members recently held a ‘foot-march’ in the Harchakian town of the district, raising the pitch of electioneering in the Hill State. The BJP national president J.P Nadda had also addressed a gathering at Kangra’s Nagrota Bagwan after holding a roadshow in the town, stepping up the saffron party’s election campaign in the run-up to the Assembly polls. While addressing a public gathering in Shimla, Nadda raised the poll pitch by listing the achievements of the BJP governments in the Centre and State. He also said the saffron party had done several development workers in Himachal Pradesh.

 The Congress, as part of its election strategy, appointed Pratibha Virbhadra Singh, the wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as PCC chief. Virbhadra Singh was one of the tallest leaders of Congress in the State who passed away in July last year. Appointing his wife as PCC chief is strategic, eyeing the votes of loyal Virbhadra Singh voters. This is also the first time Congress is facing its first election in decades without this former chief minister. Congress party has also created key committees, including the manifesto committee, coordination committee, election management committee and publicity and publication committee ahead of the elections.

 The Aam Aadmi Party is flexing its muscles in the Himalayan State following its impressive poll win in the neighboring Punjab. Congress is carrying on with its electoral campaign without any major stumbles (which has now been a characteristic of the age-old party) strategically with the appointment of committees and leaders in major positions. The BJP in Himachal is just slowly getting ready to face the dual challenge in the form of AAP and Congress in the State. With several months left for the Assembly polls, the political corridors of the Himalayan State are already brimming with poll pitches, and the atmosphere will remain hectic in the coming months