The Pros and Cong: 5 Factors That Had a ‘Hand’ in the Party’s Big Himachal Comeback

True to its four-decade-old practice, Himachal Pradesh ousted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the assembly results declared on Thursday. The election battle which went down to the wire eventually paved the way for a strong comeback of the Congress in the hill state.

the party won Total 39 out of 68 seats.

himachal pradesh election result live Here , Congress candidate for CM post Here

A look at five factors that led the party to this point successful return,

anti-incumbency and rebellion

In the last 37 years, Himachal PrairiesHe has never broken his tradition of changing the government every five years. While the government led by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur pledged to end the decades-old practice with the party’s call of “Raj Nahi, Riwaj Badlega”, the voters decided otherwise. CongressOn the other hand, was buoyed by this anti-incumbency wave and expressed confidence of returning to power through his campaign, despite no clear consensus on his chief ministerial face.

Read this also | ‘Chaturai’ Hills to choose its star soon: Women with BJP, workers with Congress? Himachal Ground Report

Ticket distribution for the ruling BJP also went awry, leading to 21 casualties rebel leader In all the districts. Though it took a lot of effort to woo them, many of them nevertheless contested as independent candidates and split the party’s votes in the state.

Promise to revive Old Pension Scheme (OPS)

With over 2.5 lakh government employees, the issue of revival of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) resounded loud and clear throughout the election season. While both the parties tried to garner the support of the employees with the promise of implementing old regimeHis vote has gone in favor of the Congress, which he has entrusted with the responsibility of fulfilling his election promise.

Read this also | Himachal Pradesh: Difference between old and new pension scheme in 4 points and why it is an election issue

The party has also been citing the examples of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the Congress-led government had initiated the process of implementing the old scheme.

ANGST AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT AND AGNIVEER

Leading the campaign without its tallest state leader, Virbhadra Singh, who passed away last year, the Congress has carefully chosen to connect with the people. local issues compared to the national ones. It tapped into public resentment against inflation and the worsening unemployment rate. Concerns were rife about the lack of government jobs in the first election after the pandemic.

Read this also | Split on Agniveer, will Himachal veteran be a ray of hope for Congress in BJP’s electoral shield?

hill state It also sends a large number of soldiers to the defense forces and a significant fraction did not support the Centre’s Agniveer scheme, which seems to have benefited the Congress. In her mega rally in Kangra, Priyanka Gandhi promised to end the recruitment scheme if the Congress returns to power in 2024. The party also fought the elections with the promise of providing one lakh jobs to the youth and providing startup funds in the first year. To support the self-employed.

sad apple grower

With their presence in almost half of the total 67 constituencies, apple growers have significant influence on election results in Himachal Pradesh. This time, however, they were among the most disgruntled due to anger against shrinking profit margins, rising input costs and private companies controlling the price regime of the state’s most prized fruit. To add to the woes, the latest hike in GST rates on packaging has hit them hard, and perhaps dealt a serious blow to the BJP’s prospects.

Read this also | Discontent grows among Himachal Pradesh planters, will they trouble the BJP’s apple cart in the elections?

The Congress, on the other hand, cashed in on the growing concerns and promised to meet their demands, including minimum support price (MSP) for apples. The party also promised to form a committee with representatives of agriculture unions that would fix the price of fruits.

Priyanka Gandhi’s successful campaign and connect with women voters

The resounding victory in Himachal Pradesh also brought the first electoral success for the Congress general secretary. Priyanka Gandhi, who spearheaded the party’s campaign in the state. After launching the party’s campaign in October with a promise to restore the OPS, he addressed around 10 rallies across the state. Her connect with women voters also gave momentum to the party campaign.

Read this also | Priyanka-led Congress finally looking to ramp up its Himachal campaign in Rahul’s absence

With a 48% vote share, the women of the hill state have a clear voice in state elections. Not only did they turn out in record numbers to cast their vote, but they also outnumbered men by 4.5%. While the state BJP unit continued to rely on the Centre’s schemes like Ujjwala, it was beset by concerns over rising prices of essential commodities. Women in the constituencies were vocal about how inflation and lack of jobs affected their families, which also alienated them from the ruling government. The Congress had also announced a monthly incentive of Rs 1,500 for all women aged 18-60 years.

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