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WITH 17 assembly seats, the central region of Mandi-Kulu-Bilaspur has emerged a nerve centre for the ruling Congress and rivals BJP and BSP. The Congress faces the anti-incumbency factor which the BJP is cashing mainly on. Besides the "negatives of Congress," it has no campaign agenda. Issues at stake in Mandi include the growing unemployment among youth, displacement of farmers from farmlands by hydro projects, proposed Himalayan ski village and cement plants being set up in the Mandi-Kulu-Bilaspur-Solan belt. The villagers in the drug belt of Mandi-Kulu still face a bleak future as local politicians allegedly promise them legalisation of cannabis and poppy cultivation to get votes. The unemployed youth, including technically trained youth, are a restive lot as Mandi has no big industries and trade centres. Rural youth have no employment avenues. Agriculture remains a seasonal employer. The youth look for odd jobs as taxi drivers, housekeepers and receptionists in hotels in the Mandi-Kulu tourist circuit as successive governments have failed to provide them sustainable avenues of self-employment. Government jobs are still preferred by them. The irony is that the Rozgar guarantee programme that ensures 100 days employment in a year is sufficient and suits only people who have no land. "Rozgar should be round the year. What will we do in 265 days as we have no land and sources", says Devkinand, a fruit vendor in Mandi. "I think unemployment and corruption involving the tainted leaders are the real issues", says Lawan Thakur, convener, Indian Peoples Theater Association. "Parties are busy levelling charges and counter-charges hiding real issues like unemployment, price rise, development of infrastructure like the inter- state bus stand has been pending for years. Similarly, no attention ahs been paid to ecology and bathing ghats have become silted by the sand dumped from Pandoh by the BBMB", adds president Dinu Kashyap, President Progressive Writers Association. Mandi has emerged as an educational hub for teaching shops offering the "dated vocational courses, ITIs, B.ED colleges, other technical institutes being run by outside universities. Every year it churns thousands of diploma holders but their placement remains very less, say students. Congress candidates are fanning out "development works" and BJP is creating din claiming more development and votes for change as their poll planks. Rallies and public meeting, "nokad sabhas" are organized by each leaders to woo voters who by and large remain silent keeping the candidates guessing. "Even link roads are being constructed over nights, enticements like mobile phones, blankets, pressure cookers, TVs freezes and other items are distributed on demand, reveal sources. Liquor flow freely in key votebanks under cover of darkness. The main target time is poll eve on December 17-18", reveal party sources. Former telecom minister Sukh Ram, two ministers—Kaul Singh Thakur, Rangila Ram Rao are fighting fierce political battles as are two former royals of Kulu Maheshwar Singh and his brother Karan Singh as they have been left by the BJP. The ruling Congress, rivals BJP and new entrant BSP are locked in triangular battle in Mandi. The BJP held a Yuva Garjna rally here in November 18 to woo voters. Congress has roped in Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to address the rally in Mandi. In the Shimla-Solan-Sirmaur region, which has 18 seats, the Congress traditionally has been comfortably placed. In Mandi district alone, it has 10 seats. The BJP and the Congress are evenly pitched in the poll arena. The BSP, a new entrant, has fielded all candidates in the region. They are poised to play spoilsports in most seats. Whether Congress’ development mantra or BJP’s ‘Halat badlo sarkar badlo’ succeeds, only the silent voters of the state will decide on December 19.
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