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state of the parties
state of the parties
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Cong ticket change baffles leaders
HLP eyes BJP, Cong rebels
BJP denies ticket to Roop Singh Thakur
Pathania’s supporters raise slogans against Mankotia
BJP faces another rebel in Sarkaghat
Wife of Cong ex-minister to contest as Independent
Chauhan quits as Chamba BJP chief
Poll observers reach Hamirpur
HLM constituents to fight four
‘friendly contests’
Paonta Sahib ex-MLA dead
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After infighting, the bet is finally on Virbhadra
Following years of bickering and attempts to sideline the tallest Cong leader in state, the high command’s hope is the state unit sticks together Rakesh Lohumi
With plans of the high command to bring in new leadership falling flat, the party, which dominated the political scene for decades, is making a determined bid to stage a comeback in rather adverse circumstances. The return of Virbhadra Singh as PCC chief has infused new life in the party cadres, but the problem of factionalism persists. Leaders of the rival camp, which had been calling the shots in the state party unit for the past five years, are finding themselves in an awkward position.
The party will have to bear the fallout of its failure to contain the infighting over the five years and take decisions on merit rather than factional considerations. Senior leader Kaul Singh was given two successive terms as the state Congress chief, but when the real test came, the party had to again fall back upon Virbhadra Singh, who was otherwise being gradually marginalised. Apart from the indomitable spirit of Virbhadra Singh, who relentlessly fought his rivals in the party and the high command all this while, political developments at the national level and the electoral losses the party suffered across the country in recent times forced the high command to redraft its strategy on the eve of elections. National fallout The Congress is going to the polls this time under circumstances that are much changed since the 2007 elections. The political environment at the national level is becoming increasingly unfavourable for the party due to the 'mega scams' that have hit the UPA regime. The anti-corruption campaign of Arvind Kejriwal is only adding to that. More importantly, the defeat of the party in Punjab and its below-par performance in Uttarakhand have added to its nervousness in Himachal. These developments could weaken the impact of the anti-incumbency factor, which has been playing a decisive role in Assembly polls, giving alternating shots at power to the Congress and BJP. There is a strong anti-incumbency sentiment against the Dhumal government this time too, as was manifested during the Shimla municipal elections four months back. However, it was the CPM that took advantage, and won the two top posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Had the Congress been in good health, it would have been the automatic beneficiary of the anti-incumbency. Lacking leadership Obviously, the party has been lacking requisite organisational strength to convert the resentment among the people into votes. The reasons are not far to seek. Instead of taking the Dhumal regime head on, senior party leaders have been busy fighting each other and the rather prolonged leadership tussle has left the cadres vertically divided. It all started after Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, was denied the ticket for the Rohru byelection. Backed by the high command, the anti-Virbhadra Singh camp led by Kaul Singh gained strength. An array of senior leaders, including Asha Kumari, G.S. Bali, Viplove Thakur and a number of second-rung leaders, started gunning for him. They also enjoyed the support of Union Minster Anand Sharma. With so many leaders opposing him, Virbhadra Singh was virtually pushed to the wall. Even his efforts to stage a comeback by ensuring a huge victory of his son Vikramaditya in the first-ever direct organisational elections for the State Youth Congress were thwarted as the election was quashed and the young entrant was also debarred from contesting polls in future. Defence in offence As the situation turned desperate, Virbhadra started attacking Kaul Singh and his team for being soft on the Dhumal government. Over the past nine months, he has demonstrated his strength by celebrating occasions like his birthday, completion of 50 years in state politics, and some informal get-togethers, which were attended by most of the sitting MLAs. He also patched up with Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes to take on Kaul Singh. Keen to win elections, the high command decided to make Virbhadra the state party president in place of Kaul Singh after the final show of strength, during which his supporters camped in Delhi in August. The decision came rather late, but the party has tried to put its best foot forward. Virbhadra Singh is the tallest party leader with a mass base and capable of taking on the challenge. Aware of the organisational weakness, the party has been cautious in ticket allotment. It has selected candidates who are seen as capable of winning on their own. Unity was never the Congress’ strong point, but after the ticket distribution, it looks in better shape. Mankotia moment To cap it all, the shrewd politician that Virbhadra is, he has played a masterstroke by bringing his bête noire Vijay Mankotia back into the partyfold. Mankotia, who had released a controversial CD against Virbhadra, was being used by the BJP to attack him. It is yet to be seen if Mankotia will boomerang on the BJP. Virbhadra has also sent the message across to detractors that he is prepared to put rivalries behind. Most Assembly elections have been a tough call for the Congress, despite having been the dominant player for so long. It has polled more than 50 per cent only twice since 1951, that too in special circumstances. In 1972, the elections followed the historic victory in the Indo-Pak war, while in 1985 the Congress swept the polls in the wake of Indira Gandhi's assassination. Its popularity hit the nadir during Emergency, polling the lowest-ever 27.21 per cent votes in the 1977 elections, when it was ousted from power in Himachal for the first time by the Janata wave. Its highest-ever vote share was 55.4 per cent in 1985. The old Himachal areas have been traditionally the Congress’ stronghold, but of late its support base has been shrinking in these areas also. While it has been winning the majority of seats in Shimla and Sirmour districts, the margin of victory has been on declining. The decision to go to the polls under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh may help recover some of the lost ground. Similarly, it is no longer as strong in Mandi district as it used to be. The exit of leaders Sukh Ram, Gulab Singh and Mohinder Singh (the last two are now ministers in the Dhumal government) has weakened the party's base considerably. The Congress has the wherewithal to stop the BJP from accomplishing its "Mission Repeat", but it won't work unless the senior leaders put up a united fight.
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Cracking under Dhumal’s weight, now he is the pillar CM’s total control of govt and party turned rival Shanta Kumar into a threat that could be fatal for BJP. Hope, however, is still on Dhumal for his hold Pratibha Chauhan
The ceaseless battle between its two giants, Chief Minister PK Dhumal and Rajya Sabha MP and BJP national vice-president Shanta Kumar, has become the bane of the state unit. Shanta has in no uncertain terms made it clear that he is not in the race for chief-ministership and has no intention of returning to state politics, but the slighting of his loyalists, especially in Kangra, has left him fuming. Faced with the herculean task of creating history by repeating its 2007 victory, the BJP is banking heavily on Dhumal, who is clearly a head above other state party leaders. The BJP has an advantage over the Congress to the extent there is no ambiguity over its chief-ministerial candidate, yet the chasm between rival factions could cost dear.
The BJP had won the 2007 polls by getting 41 of the 68 seats, and received the support of three independent MLAs, who later became the party’s associate members. Its strength in the 12th Vidhan Sabha rose to 42 when the lone Bahujan Samaj Party MLA, Sanjay Chaudhary (Kangra), also joined. Din of dissidence Despite the backing of party bigwigs, Dhumal has had to contend with dissidence from Shanta loyalists — ministers Kishan Kapoor and Ramesh Dhawala, and MLAs Khushi Ram Balnatah, Vipin Parmar, Des Raj and Praveen Sharma. During the past two years, they have been actively running an anti-Dhumal campaign, and have even approached the high command, seeking change in the leadership and raising the issue of corruption. They have also made known their discomfort with the prominence being given to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, headed by Anurag Thakur, Hamirpur MP and Dhumal’s son. The majority of these leaders, hailing from the politically sensitive Kangra — the stronghold and home district of Shanta Kumar — have expressed anguish over the "slighting of dedicated party workers" and the rise of a select few close to the Chief Minister. In fact, Balnatah, MLA from Rohru, even wrote to BJP president Nitin Gadkari, seeking change in leadership. He said the BJP could well win once again provided Dhumal was changed. The argument apparently did not find favour. Rajan Sushant, Lok Sabha MP from Kangra, too has accused Dhumal of shielding the corrupt. The party suspended him, but there was no follow-up action. Lately, he has been quiet, as he was seeking the ticket for his wife. The split One branch of dissidence that started as a murmur also culminated in the formation of a new political outfit, the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), on February 2, 2012. The party is headed by Maheshwar Singh, a former state BJP chief, and also has former ministers and MLAs, including Shyama Sharma, Mohinder Sofat and Naveen Dhiman. The HLP could dent the BJP vote bank in these leaders' areas. However, despite several disgruntled former MLAs joining the party, none of them can make the HLP a force to reckon with. The HLP, which has already announced around 40 candidates, is hoping to net some senior BJP and Congress leaders who have been denied the ticket. The party has also joined hands with the CPM and CPI to forge the Himachal Lok Morcha, which is contesting the election under a seat-sharing arrangement. To make matters worse, Balnatah finally bid adieu to the BJP on October 7, announcing his plan to contest from Kasumpti on the HLP ticket. He has threatened to expose the “corrupt face of the BJP regime” and the “politician-corporate nexus”. Weak organisation The single largest factor that has caused the divide in the party is Dhumal's complete control over both government and party, which resulted in his faction having its way in everything and Shanta loyalists being marginalised. After the induction of Jai Ram Thakur — state BJP chief under whom the party won in 2007 — into the Cabinet, the organisational structure started crumbling. The new incumbent, Khimi Ram Sharma, remained a rubber stamp for the Chief Minister. Sharma's removal on demand from the dissidents and installation of a young and fiery Satpal Singh Satti happened too late to resolve matters. Satti, despite his young age, is focused on the task of handling the party bickering, a fact appreciated even by his detractors. But not everyone is ready to listen to him, which adds to the woes of the party. The BJP did create history of sorts by winning two by-elections, Rohru and Renuka, which had been Congress bastions. It, however, lost out to the Congress in Nalagarh, following the death of its legislator Harinarain Saini. Prospects now The BJP is banking heavily on Dhumal for victory, as he has his stamp on everything, and the performance of his government will be put to test. Whether Shanta will campaign extensively is not yet known; there is a possibility that he may confine himself to Kangra and Chamba. There is also a dispute within the party over whether its main slogan should have been "Kaho dil se, Dhumal phir se" or "Kaho dil se, BJP phir se". The bitterness from Dhumal's efforts to dislodge Shanta loyalist Dhawala from Jwalamukhi to make way for his blue-eyed boy Ravinder Singh Ravi made matters worse. In fact, it provoked Shanta to openly air his resentment over ticket distribution. Jan Sangh past The Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the earlier incarnation of the BJP, merged with the Janata Party in 1977 and emerged as the dominant group with Shanta Kumar becoming the first non-Congress chief minister. After the disintegration of the Janata Party in April 1980, its leaders formed the BJP, which contested its first Assembly elections in Himachal in 1982, winning 29 seats. The BJP was reduced to a eight MLAs in the mid-term elections held in 1985 in the aftermath of the massive victory of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections that followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi. The BJP bounced back to power in 1990 under the leadership of Shanta Kumar, winning 46 seats. The BJP managed to form the government for the third time under Dhumal in 1998, winning 32 seats. It was with the support of the Himachal Vikas Congress and an Independent that the government managed to get a majority. After losing the 2003 elections, the BJP returned to power in 2007 with 41 seats, and forming the government on its own for the first time in Himachal.
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Cong ticket change baffles leaders
Dharamsala, October 11 Sudhir Sharma, who started his election campaign from Dharamsala yesterday, received a rude shock today when he was informed that he had been shifted to Jwalamukhi. He was carrying out door-to-door campaigning in Dharamsala when he received the news this afternoon. He stopped campaigning then and there and held a meeting with his supporters. Talking to The Tribune later, he said he would not contest from Jwalamukhi. “I will either contest from Dharamsala or not contest at all,” he said. He and his family shifted to rented accommodation at Dari village in Dharamsala yesterday. Sources here said he had purchased a plot in Dharamsala as well with the intention to settle down permanently. The Congress high command decided to give the ticket from Dharamsala to Manoj Gaddi. The sources said Chandresh Kumari, former Dharamsala legislator and Member of Parliament from Jodhpur, at present, was instrumental in changing the candidate from Dharamsala. Chandresh Kumari had earlier sought the ticket from Dharamsala for her son Ashwarya Katoch. The sources said after her son was denied the ticket, she insisted that it be given to some local resident. The arrival of Sudhir Sharma to Dharamsala was reportedly threatening the political future of Chandresh Kumari’s family in the area. The fact that Manoj Gaddi belonged to the Gaddi community, that had considerable clout in the Dharamsala area, could also have weighed on the mind of the Congress high command. Meanwhile, Manoj Gaddi held a press conference and thanked the party high command for giving him the ticket. He said they had been pressing for a local resident as the candidate and the high command had accepted the request. Sanjay Rattan was earlier allotted the ticket from Jwalamukhi. As per a communique received here, he was shifted to Dehra. This meant that Brig (retd) Rajinder Rana, who was earlier allotted the ticket from Dehra, was denied it now. Sanjay Rattan also started his election campaign in Jwalamukhi yesterday. After receiving the news, he stopped campaigning and went into a huddle. Sanjay Rattan and Sudhir Sharma are confidants of state Congress president, Virbhadra Singh. He was instrumental in getting the ticket for them. The sources said Virbhadra Singh expressed strong resentment over the change in ticket. Congress leaders maintained that fielding Sanjay Rattan from Dehra could prove a political folly for the Congress as he hardly had any influence in the area. The changes also started hectic political parleys in Kangra, with the leaders affected activating their lobbies in New Delhi and in the state.
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HLP eyes BJP, Cong rebels
Shimla, October 11 The first major achievement the HLP seems to have achieved is the announcement of the candidature of Chet Ram, former legislator from Kinnaur, who is on the warpath after being denied the ticket. The Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) today formally announced his candidature against BJP nominee and sitting legislator Tejwant Negi. The HLP also gave indications that it was willing to make changes in its earlier announced list in case it felt that a BJP or Congress rebel was a potential winner. Under the seat-sharing arrangement in the HLM, the HLP has got 43 seats, the CPM 12 and the CPI six, with the decision on seven constituencies pending. Kapil Thakur, who was vice-president of the Darang block committee in Mandi and a ticket contender, is also contesting on the HLP ticket. He is already campaigning against former state Congress chief Kaul Singh Thakur. The core group of the HLP is keeping a close watch on political developments arising from the ticket distribution in the two main political parties. HLP leaders are in touch with some probable candidates, including former legislators Tulsi Ram (Bharmour), Roop Singh (Sundernagar), Dile Ram (Nachan), Des Raj (Indora), Kripal Parmar (Dehra) and Karnesh Jung (Paonta Sahib). “We are in touch with some candidates who are potential winners over their contesting on the HLP ticket, but they have sought some time to consult their supporters before arriving at a final decision,” said HLP leader Tikku Thakur. In case some rebels agree to contest on the HLP ticket, they may face a dent in their vote bank. A clear picture of those who jump into the election arena on the HLP ticket will become clear in the next two or three days. Announces eight more candidates The HLP today announced eight more candidates, including Rohru legislator Khushi Ram Balnatah, who had resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and former BJP legislator Chet Ram. While Balnatah has been fielded from Kasumpti, Chet Ram is the HLP candidate from Kinnaur. The other candidates announced today are Kanwar Singh Rana from Sarkaghat, Khem Raj from Nachan, Utam Chand from Karsog, Ratan Jhinta from Rohru, Daljeet Singh Gill from Doon and Pawan Chandel from Bhoranj.
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BJP denies ticket to Roop Singh Thakur
Mandi/Sundernagar, October 11 BJP sources said Roop Singh had started his campaign and had been touring in the segment and made up his mind to contest the elections as an Independent. Roop Singh said a meeting had been called by BJP workers today and the next move would be decided after listening to the workers. Workers of the Sundernagar block of the BJP held a meeting and passed a resolution, appealing to the high command that the BJP ticket be given to Roop Singh Thakur within two days. They further said if the ticket was not given to him, they would support him as an Independent and resign from their respective posts. President of the Sundernagar unit of the BJP Kamal Thakur proposed a one-line resolution that the ticket be given to Roop Singh or all authorised him to contest as an Independent candidate. Elected representatives addressed the gathering. Girja Gautam, president, Municipal Council, Sundernagar, and Hari Singh, general secretary, district unit, BJP, also spoke. Addressing the gathering, Roop Singh said, “The party has given me a shameful treatment and I am not satisfied with the decision of the high command. Had I been told earlier about it, I would not have not started my campaign this time.” Buoyed by his supporters, Roop Singh Thakur gave a two-day ultimatum to the party high command, declaring that either change the ticket and allot it to him or face rebellion. Though Trinamool Congress and Himachal Lokhit Party are trying to rope him in, Roop Singh has kept his cards close to his chest. Roop Singh told The Tribune that he would go by the will of the people. “But I am pained the way the party treated me. I have not decided to join any small party so far and my supporters want me to contest as an Independent in case the party does not change its decision,” he asserted.
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Pathania’s supporters raise slogans against Mankotia
Dharamsala, October 11 Virbhadra Singh arrived at the Gaggal airport in Kangra this afternoon. The area is a part of Shahpur constituency. The opportunity was ripe for both leaders to present a united face. However, Mankotia was not present at the airport to meet Virbhadra Singh. Instead, Virbhadra Singh was welcomed at the airport by Kewal Singh Pathania, HPCC delegate from Shahpur, and his supporters. Pathania was a contender for the party ticket from Shahpur, but was denied it after Mankotia’s re-entry into the Congress. Pathania and his supporters have not joined Mankotia’s election campaign in Shahpur. Differences were further illustrated at the airport today when Pathania’s supporters raised slogans against Mankotia and demanded the party ticket for Pathania in Virbhadra Singh’s presence. Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Congress legislator from Bhatiyat in Chamba district, was also present at the airport to welcome Virbhadra Singh. From the airport, Virbhadra Singh left for the Siunta area in Chamba district to campaign for Kuldeep Singh Pathania. Though Virbhadra Singh travelled through Shahpur, no meeting with Mankotia was arranged. Though Mankotia was not available for comment, his supporters said he was busy campaigning in the interior areas of the constituency and therefore, could not come to meet Virbhadra Singh. Mankotia had earlier stated that though Virbhadra Singh had accepted him back into the party, he would not like to comment on the audio compact disc through which he had levelled charges against Virbhadra Singh and his wife. Virbhadra Singh had also stated that he had brought Mankotia back into the Congress in the larger interests of the party even though personal issues were not over yet. Sources said Sushil Kumar Sharma, Shahpur block Congress president, had also not joined the Mankotia’s election campaign till date.
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BJP faces another rebel in Sarkaghat
Sarkaghat, October 11 With the BJP rebel in the election arena with his full force, Congress candidate Rangila Ram Rao, former Excise and Taxation Minister, is a happier man now as he will not face a Congress rebel in Sarkaghat. On the other hand, Col Inder Singh is feeling the heat if the BJP does not withdraw rebel KK Thakur, former DFO, from the poll battle. As of now KK Thakur has filed his nomination. “My family for the past generations has a history of serving the BJP and adheres to the party ideology,” the former DFO asserted. He claimed he had kicked off his campaign long time ago as he had quit his job earlier this month after his supporters pressurised him to enter active politics. Inder Singh’s supporters termed KK Thakur’s move as pressure tactics to change the ticket. Inder Singh was a man with a clean image and would trounce Rao again, they said. However, Amit Dhumal, who had also sought a ticket from Sarkaghat, held a meeting at Sarkaghat today with his supporters. But he told mediapersons that he had decided to withdraw in the interest of the party.
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Wife of Cong ex-minister to contest as Independent
Kullu, October 11 Several Kullu Sadar Congress leaders attended a meeting at Bhuttico Colony at Bhunter in which Satya Prakash, Prem Lata, panchayat pradhan Ishra Thakur, a former zila parishad member Kishan Thakur, vice-president of Youth Congress, Sadar, Shashipal were also present. Later, they declared Prem Lata as an Independent from Kullu Sadar. She had won the last zila parishad poll by a record margin of 7,214 votes. “I was under the impression that I would lead the Kullu Sadar as I understand the needs of people of the area, especially women,” she said. She and her husband Satya Prakash had tried for the ticket but Satya Prakash’s name was deleted under the ticket allotment criteria and Prem Lata was denied the ticket. |
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Chauhan quits as Chamba BJP chief
Dalhousie, October 11 The denial of the ticket has generated a revolt in party circles and invited criticism. The district BJP chief has dissolved the district-level executive body of the party. Disclosing this decision of the party, Yog Raj Dhiman, a spokesperson for the BJP, said Chauhan had resolved to contest as an Independent if the party high command did not review its decision. |
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Hamirpur, October 11 He said any person could approach them over phone regarding complaints. He said observer for 36-Bhoranj and 38-Hamirpur, MM Singh, could be contacted on phone No. 01972-254673, who would be staying at the NIT guest house, Hamirpur. For complaints regarding 37-Sujanpur, 39-Badsar and 40-Nadaun, Manish Saxena could be contacted on phone No. 01972-288078, who would be staying at the HP PWD rest house, Badsar. — TNS
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HLM constituents to fight four
‘friendly contests’
Hamirpur, October 11 HLM leaders reached a consensus on the issue after differences cropped up among HLM constituents on sharing a few Assembly seats. There are at least four constituencies where interests of candidates of the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) clash. From Mandi Sadar, the HLP is keen to field its candidate Harish Kumar while the CPI has decided to field former state unit secretary Desh Raj Sharma. Differences have also emerged over Kasumpti in Shimla district. The HLP has sought this seat for Rohru legislator Khushi Ram Balnatah, who recently resigned from the BJP and joined the HLP to enter the fray from Kasumpti. The CPM has decided to field Kuldeep Tanwar from here. HLP and CPM candidates are also keen to contest from Balh in Mandi district and Sulah in Kangra district. HLM leaders have decided to have ‘friendly contests’. They will jointly contest from 64 constituencies. Confirming this, CPM state secretariat member Onkar Shad and HLP convener Maheshwar Singh said, “We may have friendly contests on a few seats as consensus could not be reached, but the morcha is intact. We will jointly contest from 64 constituencies in the elections.” |
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Paonta Sahib ex-MLA dead
Paonta Sahib, October 11 Rattan Singh had remained an MLA in 1993 and 1998 under the Virbhadra Singh government. A pall of gloom descended the constituency as the news of the veteran leader’s death reached the town today. His body was brought here this evening. The nonagenarian leader was president of the Paonta Sahib Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, who actively contributed to its day-to-day working. He was, however, ailing for the past six months from some liver ailment. Shimla: Chief Minister PK Dhumal has expressed grief over the demise of Rattan Singh, former Chief Parliamentary Secretary who died in Mohali today. Dhumal prayed to the Almighty to give peace to the departed soul. The Chief Minister said Rattan Singh was a very honest and upright politician who worked for the welfare of people, for which he would always be remembered.
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The wheel has turned a full cycle for the opposition Congress since it was ousted from power five years ago. Old warhorse Virbhadra Singh, who was carted out of state politics following the party's 2007 electoral debacle, is back in the saddle to lead the Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Having witnessed a split for the first time in the history of Himachal BJP, the saffron party in the run-up to the Assembly elections appears to be a divided house, making its "Mission Repeat" a daunting task.
