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From
Tehelka Magazine, Vol 9, Issue 41, Dated 13 Oct 2012 |
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Scent of rebellion in the apple orchard
Ticket distribution proves to be a headache for the Congress, reports Ashhar Khan
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Fighting fit Virbhadra Singh
Photo: Shailendra Pandey |
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IT WAS a tumultuous affair. Voices were raised behind closed doors, with echoes audible outside. On 29 September, the four-hour-long meeting of the Congress Central Election Committee for finalising tickets for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll ended in dramatic fashion when Birendra Singh, the general secretary in-charge of the state, walked out. He was soon followed by Virbhadra Singh, who has served as the chief minister on five occasions.
“All tickets will be decided soon, there are no differences among us,” Birendra told the media, putting on a brave face. Virbhadra nodded along but looked unconvinced.
As the hill state gets ready for poll on 4 November, Congress leaders feel that the 68-member Assembly is theirs for the taking. But infighting is threatening to derail the party’s poll prospects.
The man in the spotlight is Virbhadra Singh. The 78- year-old was the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in UPA-2 but had to resign in June on allegations of graft, which he said were politically motivated.
After Virbhadra’s resignation, the NCP privately wooed him to join their fold. Such a move would have given him undisputed leadership, and helped the NCP’S dream of becoming a national party. The Congress heaved a sigh of relief when he refused the offer and let it be known that he will remain with the Congress until it gets impossible for him to continue.
With elections round the corner, it was impossible for the Congress to sideline Virbhadra, despite the allegations against him. After much threats and counter-threats, the party appointed him the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief. This caused much heartburn among other leaders. The rift surfaced openly when several senior leaders gave the PCC meeting a miss citing prior appointments.
In an ideal situation, the Congress should win this election hands down. Political observers feel the mood is against the BJP, but the Congress cadre are a confused lot. This is because the Congress has not portrayed anybody as the chief ministerial candidate. Secondly, there is major factionalism prevailing both at the state and central level.
Though Virbhadra is the senior-most Congress leader in the state, Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma reportedly fancies becoming the CM himself. Other contenders for the top post include Vidya Stokes and Kaul Singh Thakur.
Ticket distribution remains the major issue. The Congress tends to announce its list at the last moment. This ensures that there is little room for manoeuvre for disgruntled leaders.
As if the BJP was not enough for the Congress to tackle, the NCP will also be putting up candidates in the poll. This is likely to dent the Congress’ vote share. Himachal has small constituencies. Hence a few hundred votes are enough to change the complete dynamics of a particular constituency.
While the Congress is keeping everyone guessing, the BJP appears in an upbeat mood and has announced more than 50 percent of its candidates, including the CM nominee. The BJP feels that it has done enough development work to ensure a second term for Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. A plethora of schemes targeted at women and children are being portrayed as major achievements.
“There is rampant infighting in the Congress. They have brought in a leader who is tainted by corruption charges and had to step down from the Union Cabinet,” says BJP MP Anurag Thakur, son of the incumbent CM.
However, there is dissidence in the BJP as well. Former state BJP chief Maheshwar Singh has left the party fold and has formed a new outfit called the Himachal Lokhit Party. This is likely to eat into the BJP’s vote share, making it tough for the party to retain power.
At the moment, the Congress desperately needs a morale boost. In the previous round of state elections, the party had very little to show. And things have only gone downhill since then. This time, it feels Himachal Pradesh can provide that boost.
ashhar@tehelka.com
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