It promises to be the most exciting election battle in the hills in recent times. BJP has entered the fray from many rallies of PM Narendra Modi. Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP had a strong start, but lately it has focused most of its attention on Gujarat. The Congress campaign rests on the shoulders of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but the pace is yet to pick up. News18 Himachal Pradesh visits the state to assess public sentiments and political strategies ahead of the 2022 elections.
Senior Himachal Pradesh Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh said it would be difficult for the BJP to get the crowd drawn to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies to vote in favor of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur as the election is a test of the performance of the Chief Minister and not the popularity of the Prime Minister. News18.
In an exclusive interview to News18, Vikramaditya Singh, son of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, said that the biggest question before the voters is how has the BJP government performed in the last five years.
“When we say Mr Modi is the star campaigner of the party, there is a catch. Undoubtedly, he is the tallest leader of the country and draws the crowd. But the question is whether it will translate into votes. The people of Himachal are highly educated and understand the dynamics of state and central elections. They know that this election is not for PM Modi but for the accountability of Jai Ram Thakur government.
Singh alleged that the Jai Ram Thakur government has been the least performing BJP government in the hill state till date. “Consider his own vision. He campaigned that he wanted to invest Rs 80,000 crore. He held an investor meeting in Dharamsala, but nothing happened in the last five years. We asked for a white paper, but they didn’t know anything. They are delaying it citing no reason. Basically, they have nothing to show as a demonstration,” the Congress leader said.
He said the BJP government had promised an international airport at Mandi four years ago, but not a single brick has been laid for it.
On rumors of internal rift within his own party, Vikramaditya Singh said that ticket distribution has put an end to all rumours. “Ticket distribution has been a very well thought-out process and has taken care of a lot of differences. The President of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee is capable of taking all the factions of the party along.
Asked whether the absence of Rahul Gandhi, who is busy with the Bharat Jodi Yatra, will affect the Congress campaign and its electoral fortunes, Singh said senior leader Priyanka Gandhi has already started pushing. Come join other senior leaders like Sonia Yes, Rahul Gandhi is busy with the Vishal Bharat Jodi Yatra, but the entire top leaders of the party are involved in the Himachal campaign.
On AAP challenging the Congress for the post of the main opposition party, Vikramaditya Singh said that the bubble of the past has burst. “After the Punjab elections, there was enthusiasm but that has died. It is a bubble that has burst. The people of Himachal are completely nationalist and do not encourage parties that favor separatist elements. AAP has encouraged radical elements in Punjab and they want to repeat the same in Himachal, but their steps will be thwarted by the people.
The Congress leader said the party’s CM face would be chosen by the elected representatives. “In a democracy, that is what is done and that is how it should be done.”
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