Will Voters Prefer ‘Prem’ Or ‘Vir’?

Y.S. Rana

Voters in the Himachal Assembly elections have performed their duty well. Though the counting is far away yet both the BJP and Congress are staking claim to form the next government in this hilly state. The counting will be held on December 18. With political crystal gazers predicting close finish which could swing either way on December 18 when the counting of votes polled in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly is taken up, the two parties are keenly engaged in doing anticipatory number crunching.

Whether the voters will repose ‘Prem’ in Dhumal or can go with the ‘Vir’ be able to save the crumbling fort? Before elections, both the BJP and Congress exuded confidence of getting a clean majority. However, they have become apprehensive of achieving the goal for them. They feel that rebels can rob official candidates of victory in as many as 10 assembly segments which may make or mar the prospects of either side, poitical observers feel. Most surveys have given the BJP an edge in Himachal Pradesh but the Congress may be within the striking distance for government formation, they add. Like last assembly election, the state Congress is not passing through a leadership crisis this time. It is to be or not to be Virbhadra Singh as chief minister.

It is said that whosoever wins the Kangra Fort sins the battle of Shimla. It has been the deciding factor in formation of governments. It has 15 assembly seats of the 68. In 1990 when the BJP formed the government, it won 13 seats out of 16 while in 1993 the Congress formed the government when it won 12 seats from the district. While in 1998, the BJP succeeded in forming the government but in 2003, the Congress won the Kangra Fort and walked away with 11 assembly seats from here and formed the government. The BJP wrested back a lot of lost ground in the district in 2007, on its way to grab power but lost it again in 2012 to the Congress.

Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘Divya Himachal TV’. Also,  Download our Android App