With the 2022 Assembly election in Himachal Pradesh around the corner, the campaigning of the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) is at its peak with its top brass leaders hitting the ground with back-to-back election rallies, even as the Congress’s top central leadership though, is yet to be seen in a combat mode.
The elections, which in the past over three decades has been witnessing a bipolar contest between the Congress and the BJP, are due this year. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in the election fray this time, yet largely the contest is being seen between the traditional rivals – the BJP and the Congress – in this hill state.
The ruling BJP, which is focusing on ‘Mission repeat’ to retain power in the State, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the saffron party’s victory in the election to the 68-member State Assembly. In the past few months, its prominent leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and party’s national president J.P. Nadda, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have addressed several rallies among themselves to garner people’s support. Mr. Modi, who has so far addressed two rallies is slated to address another one in Chamba on October 13.
The electioneering for the Congress party, which is fighting to wrest power from the BJP has been largely steered by the State leadership so far. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would be addressing her first rally of the election campaign on October 14 in Solan. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is busy with the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.
After its emphatic win in the Assembly elections in the neighbouring State of Punjab, the AAP stepped up the tempo of its electioneering in April this year itself with party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann holding several road shows and public rallies. However, off-late, AAP’s prominent leaders have been channelising their energy more in poll-bound Gujarat and the local leadership is canvassing for the party in the State.
As the Congress is being seen as the key challenger for the BJP, a section of Congress party’s members feel that to counter the aggressive campaign of the saffron party, the party’s top leadership should be more actively participating in the electioneering. In the past few months several prominent Congress leaders, including sitting MLAs and working presidents have left the party, citing factionalism and disarray over party operations in the State. “As the party continues to suffer from factionalism, it’s natural that many party workers would feel demotivated. In such a scenario the role of central leadership becomes all the more important, their participation works like a glue, which binds everyone,” said a party member requesting anonymity.
Senior Congress leader Naresh Chauhan dismissed the claim that Congress was having a low-key campaign. “Our leader Priyanka Gandhi will steer the campaign in Himachal Pradesh starting from October 14. Also, once the election for the party’s national president position is concluded, more leaders would visit the State for canvassing. The BJP is campaigning aggressively because they are aware of the fact that they are losing the upcoming election. By spending extensively on the campaign, the BJP is attempting to woo voters now as during the past four and a half years they have done nothing for the State and its people. Our leaders and workers are prepared and are continuously working on the ground to ensure the party’s win. More importantly, the people have made up their mind to throw the BJP out of power,” he told The Hindu.
