Ahead of 2022 Himachal Assembly polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state on Tuesday faced major embarrassment with its arch rival Congress securing victory on Mandi Lok Sabha seat and all three assembly seats - Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai, which went to bypoll on October 30.
The BJP not only lost the bypoll to the prestigious Mandi parliamentary seat and all three assembly constituencies but also failed to save its deposit in Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly seat.
The outcome of the bypolls, which was seen as a “semifinal” to next year’s assembly elections in Himachal, came as a major boost to opposition -Congress which not only retained Fatehpur and Arki assembly seats but also managed to wrest Mandi Lok Sabha seat and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly seat from the ruling BJP.
Pratibha Singh, Congress candidate and wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, a prestige contest for Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur as it falls in his home district, by defeating BJP’s Brigadier Khushal Thakur (retired), a Kargil war hero.
Congress candidates Bhawani Singh Pathania, Sanjay and Rohit Thakur emerged victorious from Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly constituencies, respectively.
Accepting the people’s mandate, the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the BJP will introspect the causes which led to its defeat. The party will formulate a strategy to overcome its shortcomings and do everything possible to ensure victory in the 2022 assembly elections, he said.
Thakur also alleged that some BJP workers operated against the party candidates and action will be taken against them.
On the other hand, the Congress demanded resignation of the Chief Minister on moral grounds.
Seeking resignation of Thakur, Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore said that the Chief Minister even failed to retain the BJP’s seat in his home district Mandi.
Rathore also described the bypolls as “semifinal” and exuded confidence that the Congress would win the assembly elections scheduled for December next year.
“This is a vote for change, against the anti-people policies of the BJP's Union and Himachal Pradesh governments. It is a mandate expressing people's solidarity with the pro-people stance of our leaders Soniaji and Rahul Gandhi ji (sic),” Congress Himachal Pradesh in-charge Sanjay Dutt said in a tweet.
In the keenly-watched bypoll to the Mandi parliamentary seat, Pratibha Singh secured 369565 votes (49.14 percent) against 362075 votes (48.18 percent) secured by the BJP candidate. NOTA was polled 126661 votes.
The Mandi seat had fallen vacant with the death of two-time BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma. Pratibha had lost to Ram Swaroop Sharma with a huge margin in 2014 and did not contest 2019 general elections.
According to the political experts, the Congress veteran and six-time Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh's legacy was put to test in bypolls against BJP's Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur's government’s performance. The outcome has sprung a surprise as Congress managed to win the Mandi parliamentary seat and all three assembly segments, giving an indication of anti-ruling sentiment among the people, they say.
“The bypoll outcome could also impact the political future of Thakur as it came at a time when the ruling saffron party is on a Chief Minister changing spree in the country and assembly polls are due next year in Himachal,” the political experts say In the high-stakes Mandi bypoll, which was seen as a deciding factor for the political future of both the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and that of Virbhadra Singh's family in state’s politics, Pratibha Singh was banking on her first-time legislator son Vikramaditya Singh for campaigning.
During her election campaign, Pratibha had sought votes in the name of her late husband Virbhadra Singh and development ensured by him in the Mandi assembly seat during his stints as an MP from Mandi and six-time CM of Himachal.
Virbhadra Singh, a veteran Congress leader passed away on July 8 in Shimla at the age of 87, leaving behind a rich political legacy.
The CM had sought votes in Mandi on the valour and integrity of the BJP’s candidate, a Kargil war hero.
Mandi Parliament constituency is the second largest constituency of the country area wise and includes 17 Assembly constituencies in the districts of Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba and Shimla. The parliamentary seat also has the world's highest polling station of Tshigang located at 15,256 feet above the sea level in tribal district Lahaul-Spiti.
In Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly bypoll which was witnessing a triangular contest with BJP rebel Chetan Bragta, son of former Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta in the fray as an independent candidate, BJP candidate Neelam Seraik failed to save her deposit and got only 2644 votes. Winning candidate Rohit Thakur of the Congress secured 29,955 votes while his nearest rival Chetan Singh Brata was polled 23,662 votes.
Fatehpur assembly seat which was also witnessing a three-cornered fight saw Congress’ Bhawani Singh Pathania recorded 24449 votes against his nearest rival Baldev Thakur of BJP who secured 18660 votes.