The Congress is confident of reversing its electoral fortunes in the upcoming parliamentary polls in Himachal Pradesh. The hill state is going to polls on June 1, the last phase of the ongoing election cycle.
The grand old party has tapped into a number of issues- ranging from the growing discontent against the Agniveer scheme and an alleged “Delhi” hand to topple the government in Shimla.
Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), swept all four Lok Sabha seats in the state twice – in 2014 and 2019. The polls are witnessing a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress party, which is in power in Himachal Pradesh.
Congress taps into local disenchantment
Senior Congress functionaries, speaking to the Moneycontrol have confided that the party is raising issues that are central to the people of the state. “Issues like denial of special financial packages for relief and rehabilitation during the worst ever monsoon disaster and the misgivings around the Agniveer scheme has struck a chord with the local population.
The state has a sizeable number of ex-servicemen and serving soldiers. The Congress has promised to scrap the scheme, alleging it deprives the youth from regular jobs in the army and pension,” said Dr. Neeta Mishra, Vice Chairperson, Vichar Vibhag, AICC.
The achievements of the state government like restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS), Rs 1,500 per month to women and hike in procurement price of milk are also being prominently highlighted during the election campaign.
The state leadership is confident of emerging victorious in the bypolls. The constituencies where by-elections will be held include Lahul and Spiti, Dharamshala, SujanBarsar, Gagret, and Kutlehar.
How Congress’ ticket distribution is resonating with the electorate
Vijay Pal Singh, a senior Congress functionary in the state observed that the choice of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls is playing a big role in adding more heft to the Congress' campaign. The electorate is extremely pleased with the choice of Congress candidates. In Kangra, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma is taking on the BJP's Rajiv Bharadwaj.
The Congress has fielded Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri against incumbent MP Suresh Kashyap of the BJP in Shimla, where five candidates are in the fray. In Hamirpur, Congress' Satpal Raizada is looking to dethrone two-time MP Anurag Thakur. Scion of erstwhile Rampur estate, Vikramaditya Singh is pitted against actor and BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut from Mandi.
Himachal’s demand for a “Double-engine Sarkar”
Sonu Rana, a cab driver in Kangra credits the state government for a series of welfare schemes. Whereas the Centre did not distribute the relief material when our state suffered a huge crisis, recalled Rana. The BJP government keeps talking about “Double-engine” Sarkar. Now, the people of Himachal Pradesh want their version of “double-engine” Sarkar.
"A Congress dispensation at the Centre and the state can work for the benefit of our people. Schemes like “Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana” and giving relaxation in the income limit and simplifying the process for pension and disability relief allowances for various vulnerable groups, including widows, abandoned women, and those with disabilities, have indeed brightened the prospects of the vulnerable sections of our society," stated Sonu Rana.
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