Arki is a small sleepy hamlet, less than 40 kilometres from Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla. On Friday, the BJP bastion for the last ten years, was decked up with Congress colours, and enthusiastic Congressmen were busy as if giving final touches to a daughter's wedding arrangements. And then came the Raja's baraat procession—in this case the cavalcade of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Accompanied by his wife and former MP Pratibha Singh and son who is heir apparent, Vikramaditya Singh, the chief minister dared the BJP as he said he had chosen to fight the elections to the state legislature from Arki. The mountain state of Himachal has 68 assembly constituencies.
In the past, Virbhadra Singh, affectionately called “Raja”, had contested and represented Rohru and Jubbal Kotkhai as well as Shimla (Rural). While he told a cheering audience after he filed his nomination papers that he had opted for this constituency because the local Congress was divided, which led to BJP's victories. He said he would unite his party-mates and ensure BJP loses.
To show he meant business, he had with him half a dozen former claimants to the Arki ticket, all oozing bonhomie with each other, and confidently telling the chief minister that he can freely go campaigning elsewhere while they would ensure his win from Arki. Virbhadra Singh is eyeing a seventh term as chief minister. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has affirmed that the Raja is indeed their chief ministerial face, his age notwithstanding. He is 83.
If that indeed happens as the state goes to polls on November 9, it will indeed be a miracle. The chief minister who showed no increase in his property since the last assembly elections in 2015, is facing a CBI case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The BJP has not named who may become the chief minister should the party wrest power from the Congress. The name of Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda is doing the rounds but his name is not in the list of candidates. The list of candidates includes former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, whose constituency, too, has been changed from Hamirpur to Sujanpur.
In a state that tends to vote the Congress and the BJP to power by turns, the BJP is optimistic. The party has given the Mandi ticket to Anil Sharma whose father Pandit Sukh Ram was a major Congress leader and former union minister. Alleging they were sidelined by the Congress, the Sharmas recently joined the BJP.
Though Dhuman could become chief minister if the party wins majority, the BJP will campaign using Prime Minister Narendra Modi's face on every poster, banner and handbill. The achievements of the Modi government will be their talking point.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that demonetisation, GST, growth slowdown, price rise, and joblessness will be his party's focus.
As of now, local issues seem to have been put on the back burner. But a lot of freebies are expected to be announced over the next few days.
