NEW DELHI: In Himachal Pradesh where BJP and Congress have taken turns to rule, the ruling BJP led by Jai Ram Thakur is straining its every nerve to retain power in Assembly polls due later this year.
Himachal is the home state of BJP chief JP Nadda and Union minister Anurag Thakur. The party is banking on a new formation, the ‘B.SC’ (Brahmin & Schedule Castes).
“The strategy should work to a great extent,” said a senior BJP leader. Earlier, Thakur had told this newspaper that the party has worked hard for the SCs and other communities without any discrimination. “Our performance has won the hearts of people. The Aam Aadmi Party is non-existent and Congress is struggling to survive,” Thakur said.
Apart from the ‘BSc formula,’ the BJP is also consolidating its position in the hilly areas largely dominated by the Hattis. The CM recently met Home minister Amit Shah and demanded the status of tribal to the people belonging to Hatti community.
“Though the state is small, its challenges are bigger for us now. So, retaining power has become a matter of prestige for us,” said a BJP leader. “The polls for the 68-member Assembly are a litmus test for Thakur because he came to the forefront in the state after the party suffered defeat under Prem Kumar Dhumal,” said a BJP leader, adding that the Rajput voters are the third crucial factor in the state and that two Thakur leaders are working hard to keep their caste voters together.
It is estimated that 30% of the population belongs to mainly Rajputs followed by SCs (25%), Brahmins (19%) and OBCs (14%). But the Rajput voters usually decide the results in over 33 of the 48 general category seats.