In a surprising move, the Congress party has thrown a high-profile curveball into the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections by nominating veteran politician Anand Sharma to contest from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat. Sharma, a former Union Minister during the UPA government and a four-time Rajya Sabha MP, adds an intriguing dimension to what was already expected to be a closely watched electoral battle.
The decision to field Sharma has elevated the stakes in Kangra, with the seasoned politician set to square off against BJP’s Rajiv Bhardwaj. Congress seems to be banking on its majority in the region, particularly its 11 out of 16 MLAs in Kangra parliamentary constituencies, to bolster Sharma’s chances of victory.
The strategic move by Congress underscores its intent to reclaim ground in a constituency where BJP had secured an impressive 72.02 percent of votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Moreover, the recent defection of Congress’ 2019 candidate, Pawan Kajal, who has now joined BJP and serves as a MLA from the Kangra assembly constituency, poses an additional challenge for the party.
However, the road to victory for Sharma and Congress is not without obstacles. One significant hurdle is the perception of Sharma as an outsider in Kangra, a narrative that the BJP is expected to exploit. Born and educated in Shimla, Sharma lacks a direct connection with Kangra and its electorate, a fact that BJP could leverage to its advantage.
Furthermore, BJP’s reliance on the Modi charisma cannot be discounted, especially considering the impressive victory margin of 4.70 lakh votes secured by its candidate in the 2019 elections, the second highest in the country. Sharma, contesting a direct election after nearly four decades, faces the challenge of countering this formidable force while leveraging his knowledge, experience, and oratory skills.
Despite these challenges, Sharma’s opponent, Rajeev Bhardwaj, is relatively inexperienced in electoral politics, potentially levelling the playing field. The battle for the Kangra Lok Sabha seat is shaping up to be a closely contested affair, with Congress posing a formidable challenge to BJP’s dominance.
As the electoral drama unfolds, all eyes will be on Kangra, where the clash between political titans promises to redefine the political landscape and test the electoral strategies of both Congress and BJP. The inclusion of Anand Sharma has injected a new sense of vigour into the race, making it one of the most closely-watched contests in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
