Who will form the Government in H.P. ?

RAJESH SURYAVANSHI

As Himachal Pradesh op prepares for the Assembly election on November 12, the stage looks set for yet another bipolar contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

The initial euphoria in the hill State after the entry of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), following its emphatic win in neighbouring Punjab, is fizzling out.

In the past three decades, Himachal has seen a bipolar electoral system, with the Congress and the BJP alternately forming the government every five years. The upcoming battle does not seem any different, though the entry of AAP has added a tinge of a new flavour to the election fare.

While the ruling BJP is harping on its ‘development’ works in the past four years to retain power, rising corruption, inflation, unemployment, demand for an old pension scheme (OPS) for government employees, and poor facilities in the health and education sectors are key issues being raised by the Opposition, including the Congress and AAP. The BJP is focusing on ‘mission repeat’ and steering its campaign on a ‘double engine’ plank around the ‘development’ works done by the Centre and the State government. The BJP’s blistering campaign is being led by the central leadership. In the past few months, its prominent leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and party president J.P. Nadda, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, have addressed several rallies.