CHANDIGARH: Traditional logic in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh could indicate that the state is low-hanging fruit for the Congress – no party in the past has won consecutively.
The reality, however, is no music for the badly divided party banking on freebies. And then, an aggressive AAP is knocking on the doors of power after a landslide in neighbouring Punjab.
The ruling BJP is emboldened enough to claim a repeat performance. The party is organizing itself at a micro-level with the slogan ‘Mission Repeat’ under the leadership of the PM, who is due to address a rally in the state on Sept 24.
The AAP has announced 10 ‘guarantees’ for the people. Some of these include Rs 1,000 per month to every woman, an unemployment allowance, and free pilgrimage for the elderly. The party believes its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has enough of charisma to counter both the BJP and Congress.
Congress continues to play up the legacy politics. New state party chief Pratibha Singh banks on her late husband, former Virbhadra Singh. She has announced a string of sops -- five lakh jobs, Rs 1,500 allowance to women and 300 units of free power.
In the last assembly polls, the BJP won 44 of the 68 assembly seats with a vote share of 48.8%, improving the party’s vote share from 38.47% in 2012.
The 2017 polls saw the best-ever performance by the saffron party in terms of vote share since it first contested elections in the state in 1982.
In terms of seats, the party put up the second-best performance: in 1990, it had won 46 seats.
Congress won 21 of the 68 seats with a vote share of 41.7%, slightly down from 42.81% in 2012. The state in the last assembly polls recorded the highest voter turnout of 74.61% breaking the previous record of 74.51% in 2003.
Both the Congress and BJP have taken turns to rule the state since 1985.
Political analysts believe that it will not be easy for AAP to create much impact in Himachal given the entrenched two-party system in the state.
The Congress on Tuesday dubbed the AAP as "B team of BJP" and said the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is trying to mislead the voters of Himachal Pradesh by making false promises in the name of pre-poll guarantees.
Congress spokesperson Alka Lamba told the media here that there would be a direct contest between the ruling BJP and the Congress in the hill state in the coming assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year.
The Himachal bypolls have proved that only Congress is in a position to defeat the double engine government of BJP, she said, adding that the coming assembly polls would be fought on the issues of unemployment, inflation, apple orchardists and women security.
Congress defeated BJP in HP bypolls to Mandi Lok Sabha seat and three assembly seats of Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai held in October last year.
The AAP, "BJP's B team", is making "false promises" in the name of poll guarantees in an effort to mislead the electors of the hill state, she added.
Congress was in direct contest with BJP in Uttarakhand and Goa polls but AAP contested elections in both the states to "ensure" BJP's victory, Lamba alleged.
AAP is "B team of BJP" and it is evident from the fact that AAP's CM candidate in Uttarakhand joined BJP after losing his security deposit, she said.
Lamba further stated that the entire AAP unit of Himachal Pradesh had also joined BJP overnight in the presence of its national president J P Nadda.
At the press conference, Punjab Youth Congress president Barinder Singh Dhillon claimed that the voters of Punjab have fed up with the AAP government within a few months as it failed to maintain the law and order situation.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP will take suggestions from at least 50,000 people to prepare its manifesto for the upcoming polls, state BJP president Suresh Kashyap said.
Kashyap told the media here that the party had taken suggestions from 7,000 people for its manifesto during the last Assembly elections.
Now, the BJP will take suggestions from at least 50,000 people to prepare its "vision document", he added.
The BJP has made 21 sub-committees and is also sending letters to all sections of society to seek their suggestions, he added.
It has also launched its web portal, Bjphpsankalpatra2022.org, for getting suggestions online, he said, adding that a WhatsApp number will also be released.
The "vision document" will target the common man to improve their quality of life, he added.
Over 20 lakh people of the state have been directly benefitted from various schemes launched by the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government, he said, adding most initiatives were started on the basis of the promises made in the vision document.
(With PTI Inputs)