Shimla: As the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections are approaching fast, the political parties are gearing themselves up for the D-Day. Though it remains in the hands of public initially as to who will be in the power, but if not now, then never, will be ever the right time to woo the hoi polloi. Though the electorate of Himachal had always been in frenzy and hardly elected a government of the party ruling at the center. So, this time too, it’s a wait and watch situation. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Nevertheless, the trumpet of election can be blown anytime since the election commission team is on the state visit. If sources are to be believed, November can be the month to decide the political battle of the state. Beyond this time, implementing the election process would be little difficult owing to the inclement weather conditions. Particularly, the snowfall in the upper areas can play a spoilsport. The administration of Himachal has also agreed to conduct elections in the state as per the situation and demand arises.
However, the political parties are still in doldrums, particularly if we talk about the leadership in both the leading political parties of the state – congress and BJP that are. Congress is facing a tough challenge. The party high command has failed to keep its house in order as oldies are still not able to do away with the power hunger. Promoting new faces to the leadership roles without the support of the older ones is something that party wouldn’t like to promote, as I believe, all at once. Hence, the predicament!
The situation is no different in BJP either. If the party high command promulgates Modi’s age formula, there will be a massive change in the BJP’s state leadership. Whereas the older generation leaders believe there is every reason for them to get another chance, the new faces want to make their voices heard that too when they are expecting BJP to win state elections this time. Though there are no open statements and bashes about the same in BJP as of now but the senior state party leaders aren’t accepting the change BJP high command want to bring in wholeheartedly. In such a situation, BJP may fight elections without announcing the CM candidate initially.
Let’s not forget that change is the only thing permanent in this world. And this applies to the leadership of the state, particularly the senior and chief ministerial candidates PK Dhumal and the incumbent Virbhadra Singh the most. If we remember the history of both these political leaders, the former has replaced Shanta Kumar the senior most BJP leader in the state and superseded many party founder members to some extent, whereas the latter superseded Ram Lal Thakur when he became the chief minister of Himachal in 1983 for the first time. Acclaiming the role of the oldies and respecting their contribution to the party as well as the state may end the bitterness within the party at one hand and can make transformation smooth on the other.
