Himachal Polls: Will BJP Buck The Trend Of Alternating Govts Or Will Congress Make A Comeback? Key Points

Himachal Election 2022: The hill state has not repeated any government since its formation in 1971. Will voters change the 'riwaaz' by re-electing BJP?

Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal

Source : PTI

Will BJP buck the trend of Himachal Pradesh not repeating any government since its formation in 1971 or will Congress wrest control of the state under its new chief Mallikarjun Kharge? The decision will be sealed on Saturday as more than 55 lakh voters exercise their franchise in 68 constituencies across the state. 

Even though the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has campaigned aggressively in Himachal, the contest in the state is being seen as a direct one between the BJP and the Congress in line with past trends.

While BJP has asked voters to change the "riwaaz" by re-electing BJP as the "double engine" regime would benefit the state, Congress is banking on anti-incumbency and has raised issues of price rise, unemployment and old pension scheme.

READ | Himachal Election: It's Advantage BJP But Congress Can't Be Ruled Out, Finds ABP-CVoter Survey

Himachal Pradesh Election On November 12: All You Need To Know

• The hill state has not repeated any government since its formation in 1971. The only exception being 1985 when Congress's Virbhadra Singh opted for mid-term polls, about two years ahead of the schedule, to encash the pro-Congress wave after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984.
• More than 55 lakh voters in Himachal will decide the fate of 412 candidates. The top battles to watch out for in the state will be in Seraj, the home turf of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, and Shimla Rural, where Congress has fielded the son of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
• Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj is contesting from Kasumpti, leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri from Haroli, former HPCC chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu from Nadaun and Congress manifesto committee chief Dhani Ram Shandil from Solan. 
• As per the latest ABP-CVoter survey, Himachal may see a hung assembly, with BJP getting between 31 to 39 seats and Congress between 29 to 37. In Himachal Pradesh, 35 is the majority mark.
• In terms of vote share, BJP is likely to get around 44.8 per cent while Congress is close behind, with 44.2 per cent, the ABP survey found.
• A challenge for the BJP this time will be rebel candidates in over 20 seats. CM Jai Ram Thakur has acknowledged that it would impact the results in six to seven assembly seats.
• The BJP has promised implementation of Uniform Civil Code, eight lakh jobs in the state, 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and educational institutions.
• Congress has promised to revive the old pension scheme and give 1 lakh government jobs. To woo women, who form 48 per cent of the electorate, Congress has promised Rs 1,500 per month to each of them aged between 18 and 60. It has also promised 300 units of free electricity. 
• In the 2017 Assembly election, the BJP won 44 seats and Congress 21. BJP secured 48.79 per cent of the vote share, whereas Congress won 41.46 per cent.
• A victory in Himachal will boost the BJP's prospects in the nine state elections due next year, which are mostly Hindi heartland states. For Congress, it will be a litmus test for new president Mallikarjun Kharge, with former chief Rahul Gandhi giving campaigning a complete miss.