Rally blitzkrieg as campaigning ends in Himachal, ball in voters’ court

The campaigning blitzkrieg for bypolls to three Himachal assembly seats, marked by parties trading barbs and personal attacks, came to an end on Monday. Voters will seal the candidates’ fate in a couple of days’ time on July 10.

From roadshows to public meetings, the leaders from the two principal parties – the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaigned aggressively to woo voters in this high-stakes electoral battle.

The bypolls in Hamirpur, Nalagarh and Dehra assembly segments were necessitated after the speaker accepted the resignation of three independent MLAs who resigned from the House and joined the BJP after the Rajya Sabha polls back in February.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who campaigned for the party’s Nalagarh candidate Hardeep Singh Bawa, highlighted Bawas commitment to public service. “We assure you that the Congress government and Bawa will continue to serve the people throughout the remaining term, focusing on the development of Nalagarh,” he said.

The leader attacked BJP candidate KL Thakur, saying he failed to serve the people even after being given the opportunity in 2022. “With the upcoming bypolls, let us ensure a historic victory for the Congress candidate here. Give him the opportunity to serve you. Congress will win all three bypolls in Himachal,” he added.

CM, Jai Ram face off in Dehra

Meanwhile, leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, while campaigning in Dehra, said the people of the state have completely rejected the corrupt government and chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Sukhu.

Notably, the CM’s wife Kamlesh Thakur is contesting the polls from Dehra on a Congress ticket. Her entry had enthused the party cadre, which promoted as the “daughter” of Dehra. It, however, drew criticism from the BJP who accused Sukhu of propping up his friends and family.

“In the Lok Sabha elections, the people have made their stand clear that there was no place for corrupt people in the state. In these assembly bypolls, the people will give a befitting reply to the dictatorship. Hoshyar Singh is the face of Dehra and will remain the face of Dehra,” Jai Ram said.

He noted that a victory for BJP will increase their number in the assembly and will curb the government’s dictatorial attitude, adding, “We will force the government to develop in the same way as the BJP governments that have done all-round development in Himachal in the past.”

Sukhu canvassed for Kamlesh Thakur, saying the fight was for Dehra’s honour. “The next state-level program of Independence Day will be celebrated in Dehra and the issues of those displaced by the Pong Dam will be solved before that.”

He trained guns at Hoshyar Singh, saying the former MLA did not sit on a dharna for any problem of Dehra in six-and-a-half years, but went on one to get his resignation accepted.

“The people of the state have rejected the politics of money power and increased the number of Congress MLAs from 34 to 38. Now, the number of Congress MLAs is going to increase to 41,” the CM said.

BJP’s state president Rajeev Bindal, however, exuded confidence of the party winning in all three seats, saying “The Congress government only wants to get votes by intimidation and it will fail in that.”

The leader said the BJP has always worked for the progress and development of Himachal while the Congress government has stopped even the ongoing work in the state. “The government which has pushed the entire state into darkness is now making false promises of the light of development at the time of elections,” he added.