The unprecedented turnout of people in Himachal Pradesh for casting their votes in 2014 general elections has set a new record in the polling history of the State.
Nearly 66 per cent polling took place in Mandi Parliamentary constituency from where Pratibha Singh, wife of Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, is contesting as Congress candidate. She is facing BJP grass roots worker with RSS background, Ram Swarup Sharma.Political analysts were considering Mandi constituency as the weakest one for the BJP in the State. They were privately admitting that the ratio of the BJP winners could be 3-BJP and 1-Congress
But according to impartial observers, a formidable undercurrent of Modi wave which subsequently assumed the shape of a tsunami seems to have turned the tables for the Congress.Many were surprised on the polling day to see a trail of large crowds of people swarming towards the polling booths even at the break of dawn.A pall of stunned silence among the voters unwilling to divulge the name of the party they were favouring made the matter more ambiguous and complex for the foretellers of results.
It is apparent that corruption, mega scams, unending process of rising prices of essential commodities like diesel, petrol and other essential commodities of daily use which had gotten on the nerves of people had badly shaken the common people and made their lives unbearable. The common man seemed to be determined to decimate the Congress rule. The pro Modi wave thus might have turned in favour of Ram Swarup Sharma. Many feel here that it would not be surprising if the BJP wins.
However, Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh downplayed any Modi wave in Himachal Pradesh and asserted that it was a Congress wave. He is of the firm conviction that his wife Pratibha Singh, who had won the byelection of 2013 with a big margin of 1,36,000 votes, was poised to win this time with a much bigger margin. He said many big guns would fall in the State and Congress would sweep all the four seats.
Former Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who was spearheading the BJP election campaign in Mandi and Pravin Sharma, State media in-charge retorted that Chief Minister was living in a “fool’s paradise”.Health Minister Thakur Kaul Singh, who had been vigorously canvassing for Pratibha Singh, said that the Congress victory in Mandi constituency was certain.
All Congress Ministers, including Prakash Chaudhary, Anil Sharm, former Union Minister Pt Sukh Ram, Parliamentary Secretary Thakur Sohan lal, former Minister Rangila Ram Rao were not leaving any stone unturned in canvassing for the Rani.
But a large number of the people in the towns of Mandi district and rural areas confided to media persons, who surveyed some of the rural pockets, that the majority of the people voted for Modi, which according to them, was the only ray of hope in the present political scenario when the nation had been brought on the brink of bankruptcy by the corrupt politicians. They were out for salvaging the system, they told media persons.
Virbhadra Singh appears to be very enthusiastic about the outcome of elections. He said that the heavy polling was a clear mandate for his good performance.Meanwhile, the fate of the candidate had been sealed in the EVMs and would be revelled on May 16, the day of counting.Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has made a diametrically different claim to that of Virbhadra Singh. He said that the fate of Congress and Virbhadra Singh had also been sealed in the EVMs simultaneously.
Take it for granted, he said, that Pratibha Singh, wife of the Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, was also getting defeated this time. Very heavy turnout of the people braving the vagaries of weather — snowfall in higher reaches and scorching heat in lower valleys, was a clear-cut indication of her defeat. He said the track record of widespread corrupt ion during the infamous UPA rule would be one of the causes of the Congress defeat in the State.