With just six days left for the bypolls for Himachal’s three assembly seats, the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) blame game has pushed local issues on-ground onto the backburner.
Notably, the youth in Hamirpur have repeatedly raked up unemployment, while Dehra awaits an end to the water crisis and the construction of Central University campus. But as electioneering crescendos, the campaigning has gotten murkier as rival parties have unleash new offensives against each other every day.
Winning the three bypolls remains crucial for the stability of the Congress government and thus the decision to field the CM’s wife Kamlesh Thakur, from Dehra assembly constituency, holds even more significance.
CM Sukhu, who is leading the party’s campaign from the front, has accused his predecessor, Jai Ram Thakur, and other BJP leaders of resorting to lies/
While canvassing for Congress’ Hamirpur bypoll candidate Pushpinder Verma on Wednesday, Sukhu said Jai Ram halted development in Hamirpur to weaken Prem Kumar Dhumal, and no minister was appointed from the region. “Dhumal was the declared CM candidate in 2017, but he was defeated as part of a conspiracy,” he said.
The BJP, meanwhile, have been accusing the CM of propping up his friends and family members.
BJP state unit chief Rajeev Bindal, speaking in Dehra on Thursday, targeted Sukhu, alleging that a small group of his close associates have taken control of the government.
Who is to blame for bypolls?
Both parties have been accusing each-other of forcing the three bypolls in the state.
While the Congress argues that the independent MLAs “betrayed” the public mandate and sold themselves, Jai Ram, said the bypolls were a result of the CM’s “dictatorship” as it pushed the independents to resign.
The Congress has alleged that the BJP and the independent MLAs brought the politics of horse-trading to the state and conspired to destabilise the state government.
CM Sukhu while addressing a gathering in Hamirpur, accused former independent legislator, now BJP candidate, Ashish Sharma of conspiring to topple the government, “We have proof of this, a case has been registered against him, Ashish Sharma was also the main mastermind in Operation Lotus. As the investigation progresses, many revelations will be made.”
Harish Kumar Thakur of the political science department, Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), said the electoral campaign has hit an “all-time low”, adding, “Personal attacks and rivalries are taking centre stage over primary issues that a democratic set up is expected to address.”