Campaign for Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections marked by acrimonious exchanges between the two contenders for power--the States ruling Congress and main opposition BJP-ended on Tuesday.
Though the BJP announced Prem Kumar Dhumal as its chief ministerial face just a week ago, the party’s campaign was virtually spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who lacerated the Congress over corruption, while Rahul Gandhi mounted a spirited counteroffensive, targeting the Centre over note ban and the GST.
BJP president and its master strategist Amit Shah, besides a host of Union Ministers and top leaders from both sides criss-crossed the State.
The 73-year-old Dhumal, a two-term Chief Minister, is seeking to thwart the Congresss chief ministerial candidate Virbhadra Singh’s record seventh shot at power.
Internal squabble may cast a shadow on the Congresss chances of storming back to power despite the party reposing faith in Singh to bail it out at a time when it has been facing a string of electoral reverses.
The BJP organised 197 rallies while Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh alone addressed 200 meetings across the state for the Congress during the past two and a half months.
Prime Minister Modi addressed seven meetings, Amit Shah six, Rahul Gandhi three, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh three and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke at seven public meetings.
There are 337 candidates left in the field after the death of a candidate in Badsar constituency while a BJP rebel in Chamba retired in favour of the party candidate.
Significantly, Himachal Pradesh goes to polls a day after the first anniversary of demonetisation decision. While the Congress and some other opposition parties are observing November 8 as black day, the BJP had declared it would celebrate it as anti-black money day.
Modi and other BJP leaders repeatedly targeted Virbhadra Singh and his Government for alleged corruption.
leader of Opposition Dhumal is pitted against Rajinder Rana (Congress) in a five-cornered fight in Sujanpur.
Virbhadra Singhs son Vikramaditya Singh is making his electoral debut from Shimla (Rural) constituency where he is facing a stiff challenge from Pramod Sharma, a former protege of his father now contesting as the BJP nominee.
Another contest that would be keenly watched is for the Mandi seat where former Union minister Sukhrams son Anil Sharma is contesting as the BJP candidate. Anil Sharma quit the Congress in the run up to the elections.
State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti is facing Satpal Singh Raizada of the Congress in a five-cornered contest in Una, while state Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu is pitted against sitting BJP MlA Vijay Agnihotri in a six-way fight in Nadaun.
About a dozen rebels of both the parties are also in the fray, trying to spoil the chances of official nominees. The counting of votes would be taken up on December 18.
The Congress and BJP are contesting all 68 seats, CPI(M) has fielded 14 candidates while 187 candidates of small parties and independents are also in the fray.
As per the latest photo electoral rolls, there are 50,25,941 electors including 25,68,761 male, 24,57,166 female, 14 third gender electors.
As many as 7,521 polling booths have been set up which include 983 that have been declared vulnerable and 399 declared critical. A highest 297 vulnerable polling stations are in the Kangra district.
The Kaa polling station in Kinnaur has the lowest number of eight votes while the highest poll stations of Hikkim, situated at a height of 15,000 feet, has 134 voters.
Besides 40,000 police and security men, 65 companies of para military forces have reached the state for ensuring free and peaceful polling, Chief Electoral Officer, Pushpender Rajput said. Sullah Assembly constituency in Kangra has the highest number of 96,145 electors while tribal lahaul and Spiti constituency has lowest number of 23,231 electors.
There are 19 women candidates in the arena with six candidates fielded by BJP and three by Congress.