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People want Congress raj in Himachal on many counts?

By Vinod Kumar Shukla- 12 Nov 2022

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New Delhi (12.11.2022): By the evening of November 12, 2022 fate of the candidates at the hustings in Himachal Pradesh will be sealed in EVMs to guess for all and sundry whether the Congress has managed to hit or miss the Bull’s eye in view of another advantage Congress scenario.

Voters in Himachal were looking towards the Congress to emerge as an alternative to the BJP with issues plaguing the states as never before infighting among the top leaders in saffron camp like Jairam Thakur, Anurag Thakur and J P Nadda. There is poignant anger over the Agniveer scheme as a big number of youth in the state opt for the armed forces as their career. The issue of Apple farmers as private companies entering in the business is another reason going against the BJP. Around 20 rebel candidates of the BJP are in the fray as no appeal worked. Chief minister Jairam Thakur is a lesser-known leader for the people of the state. There is disappointment among the government employees and unprecedented unemployment is making things unredeemable for the BJP.

These issues have helped Congress to get huge support and crowd in public rallies addressed by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. But has the Congress been able to cash in on the anger of the people who wanted assurance from just its gestures that the party will address these issues when it comes to power. There was an indifference and unresponsiveness of the central leadership but strategic mistakes too have put a big question mark over the possible victory of the Congress.

Repeated message from the Bharat Jodo Yatra that it is not for electoral politics may give a very high philosophical pedestal but is far from the political ground reality. There is a feeling in Congress that Priyanka is not getting support from the organization. So Congress needs a whole-hog effort to counter BJP as half-hearted efforts will not produce a desirable outcome. The BJP gave a poll slogan that ‘Raj Nahi Riwaj Badlega’ (Not the Government but the pattern will change) which means the BJP will repeat the government. Still the Congress stands a good chance when the entire BJP including the top two leaders of the party are apprehensive if really Raj is changing not the Riwaj in Himachal Pradesh.

(By Vinod Kumar Shukla)

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