M A I N   N E W S

A people's verdict
Hari Jaisingh

The Congress in Himachal Pradesh has proved most political pandits wrong. It has registered an impressive victory in the hill state which might have surprised even its own leaders, whose drawing room calculations were mostly based on wrong assumptions, a misplaced Narendra Modi factor after the Gujarat verdict and quick-fix solutions. 

Nothing of the sort has stood the test of grassroots politics which was carrying the undercurrents of the people's preferences in its wombs. Most poll pandits failed to notice these undercurrents, clearly tilted in favour of the Congress. Call it the anti-incumbency factor if you so desire. But these undercurrents were caused by several negative factors which suggested a setback for the BJP. True, there was a time after the Gujarat poll results which was suggestive of the Modi wave sweeping Himachal's mountainous terrain. There was suddenly a dramatic about-turn in the BJP camp which saw in the Gujarat Chief Minister a new saviour in the states slated for elections, including Himachal. But that was not to be. Even the BJP leadership realised that the Modi card would not work in Himachal. That is why Mr Modi failed to generate ripples during his whirlwind election tour of parts of the state.

Himachal is not Gujarat. It has a different terrain, ethos, problems and sensitivities. So, the Hindutva card could not create a stir among the people, the majority of whom are Hindus by faith. The people of Himachal Pradesh are very much alive to the issues of development, employment opportunities, the environment and the restoration of the ecological balance. That there has been a visible drift in these critical areas is no secret. Not that outgoing Chief Minister P. K. Dhumal was unaware of these issues, but he obviously failed to project himself as a dynamic and development-oriented person. What made matters worse for him was the absence of unity of purpose within the party. Moreover, the trumpeted charges of corruption against him, though of the gutter level, did stick in the subconscience of the people. Actually, the writing on the wall for the BJP was crystal clear, months before the Gujarat verdict. But, then, instead of undertaking timely correctives to nullify the negative factors at play, it hoped for a "miracle" to see the party through. The problem with the BJP leadership both in New Delhi and Shimla is that it tends to bank more on the people's emotional responses and the Hindutva card than on real issues of faster growth, employment generation and providing a transparent, corruption-free and accountable administration. It is no coincidence that amidst the play of local factors for a change, the BJP rightly or wrongly, was seen as a corruption-friendly party. Corrupt practices apart, the people resented non-governance and the arrogance of some of its stalwarts of dubious reputation. That is the reason why they have been routed at the hustings. Among the other two major upsets for the party is the defeat of Speaker Gulab Singh and its state President Jai Krishan Sharma.

Mr Madan Lal Khurana, who was in charge of the BJP's election campaign in the state, has attributed the setback to the party's organisational weaknesses and not to the issue of development. He may be partly right, but the fact remains that corruption as a poll issue has clicked in Himachal. This should provide some food for thought even to the Central BJP leadership. The people everywhere want clean and transparent regimes, and not based on gimmicks, rhetoric and false promises. This message is equally relevant to the Congress leadership which looks for short-cuts and a negative route to success. Viewed in a larger perspective, the Congress will be on a severe test in Himachal Pradesh. Only a mature and grassroots leader can help consolidate the gains provided the party avoids personal politics, which may be indulged in with the support of its innumerable rootless leaders basking under the patronage of 10 Janpath.