In order to keep the party united ahead of the Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh later this year, the Congress High Command has decided not to project anyone as the Chief Ministerial candidate. Instead, the central leadership has constituted a widely representative state unit with Pratibha Singh, wife of the late Virbhadra Singh as the Pradesh president and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as the Chairman of the Campaign Committee besides appointing Mukesh Agnihotri as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party.
Other key leaders such as Harsh Mahajan have been given important responsibilities. The thinking behind the shake up in the hill state’s unit is that if the Congress emerges victorious in the polls, the MLAs should have a major say in electing the next Chief Minister.
It has now been a tradition in Himachal that for over 45 years, the people have alternatively elected either the BJP or the Congress. If one goes by that calendar, the Congress should wrest power. However, there are many new factors that have cropped up. The Aam Aadmi Party has made its entry into the state politics and thus could impact the overall outcome of the elections. So far, the AAP has not been able to win in any state where the BJP has been in power and therefore it is possible that it may end up harming the Congress prospects more than those of the Saffron brigade. The objective which the AAP shares with the BJP is of a Congress Mukt Bharat and that is where the real challenge for the Congress comes.
This is the first elections in over four decades when the Grand Old Party is entering the fray without Virbhadra Singh, the tallest leader from this region. He was the lucky mascot of the party though he had his own priorities in his scheme of things. He was also the only politician to have served along with all Prime Ministers of this country till he passed away. His wife, Pratibha is not in the same league but can garner the support of her husband’s followers. She was able to win the Mandi Lok Sabha by-election essentially because of the sympathy factor and humbled the BJP in the bastion of its current Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
However, going by popularity amongst the present MLAs, Sukhu is decidedly the most acceptable leader but he has to understand that in the post-election scenario, things can always change and therefore he has to be prepared with a good strategy. BJP president J. P. Nadda last month ended the speculation regarding Jai Ram Thakur and made it clear that he would not be replaced and the Assembly polls would be contested under his overall leadership. This announcement may not have made the supporters of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal happy. However, Dhumal’s son, Anurag Thakur is a Union Minister at the Centre and is viewed by many in his party as a future Chief Minister of the state at some stage. This will be the major reason why Dhumal’s group shall have no option but to support Jai Ram Thakur sincerely.
There are many in the Congress who believe that the party can win the state if it follows a sound strategy with a senior and experienced leader overseeing the campaign and micro management. The Gandhis have a stake in the Himachal polls since Priyanka Vadra owns a house near the Retreat and has been taking keen interest in the politics there. Overall, by not declaring any nominee for the CMship, the Congress, has ensured that none takes it for granted that they would automatically be elevated in the case of victory. It is more important to win first and other things shall follow later. The BJP shall not allow the state to slip away from its hands so easily and the AAP is waiting in the wings.