Its almost "battle of survival" for Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister. Jai Ram Thakur and as well as for Team India. Team India will face New Zealand on Saturday (Oct 30) and hill state will vote for one Lok Sabha and three assembly seats on October 30. The by-elections are seen as mini- assembly elections, due a year later. For Team India, a win over mighty New Zealand is a must. And so is for Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. Even a defeat in one of the three assembly seats will weaken his position.
If India loses the Saturday T20 World Cup fixture, its chances of reaching super four or semifinal will recede. In that even Pakistan and New Zealand will make to the semi-finals from Group 2. After beating the top two team-India and New Zealand- in the Group, Pakistan is sure to reach Super-4.
So its a matter of survival for Team India in today's match. To reach Super-4, India will have to beat New Zealand. Like Team India, Team Jai Ram Thakur faces the similar litmus test. To remain firmly in saddle, ruling party needs to win all the four seats including Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is from Mandi. As such Mandi Lok Sabha seat has become a matter of honor for Jai Ram Thakur. BJP had won the Mandi seat in 2019 by a huge margin. Pandit Sukh Ram's grandson and son of Mandi MLA (now in BJP) Anil Sharma, was the Congress candidate. He wasn't seen as a formidable candidate.
Apart from Mandi Lok Sabha seat, BJP faces tough challenge from Congress in Jubbal & Kotkhai where Chetan Bragta. son of former MLA. Nariender Bragta is contesting as an independent candidate after party ticket was denied to him on the pretext of discouraging dynastic lineage. This seat had fallen vacant after the demise of sitting MLA Nariender Bragta. BJP has put up Neelam Saraik against Congress candidate Rohit Thakur, grandson of ex Chief Minister and Andhra Pradesh governor, Thukur Ram Lall.
The constituency had for long remained the bastion of Thakur Ram Lal. Interestingly, he first won in 1967 as an independent by defeating the then Jansangh (predecessor of BJP) candidate Balanand Chauhan. Thakur later joined the Congress and continued his winning streak in 72, 77 and 82 till the time he was appointed governor of Andhra Pradesh. He even defeated Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh from here,
The constituency, an affluent apple-growing region, is known for throwing up big surprises in poll. After a dozen villages of Nawar (Tikkar) valley, once part of the Rohru constituency, strong bastion of Virbhdra Singh, were clubbed with Jubbal-Kotkhai about a decade back, equations for the political parties had changed.
Rohit Thakur lost to Narinder Bragta of the BJP by a narrow margin of 1,060 votes in 2017 assembly elections. Rohit had won two elections earlier defeating Narinder Bragta. Its really a tough going for BJP here also after Chetan Bragta entered the contest. He will only cut BJP votes and get sympathy votes for him.
Party has faced large-scale revolt here. Just four days before the by-elections, Party on Tuesday expelled 20 more office-bearers of its Jubbal-Kotkhai unit.The office-bearers from the block and district units of the BJP have been expelled for anti-party activities. So far, the BJP has expelled 50 workers from block units of its youth body, BJYM, and women’s wing Mahila Morcha.
Its neither a walk over for BJP in Fatehpur assembly seat. BJP has put up Baldev Thakur instead of old warhorse Kripal Parmar. The by-election to the constituency was necessitated after the death of former Congress minister Sujan Singh Pathania, who represented Fatehpur in the current assembly, in February due to prolonged illness.
Parmar had earlier revolted after the denial of the party ticket but was won over by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. But his supporters are not working for official candidate. Some posters, calling Parmar an ‘outsider’, were put up in the streets and in front of the BJP’s local office at Rehan town on Monday night. Congress has fielded, Bhawani Singh, son of Sujan Singh Pathania hoping that he will get sympathy votes.
In Arki assembly by-elections, Congress candidate Sanjay Awasthi is putting up a tough fight for BJP candidate Ratan Pal Singh. Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and other leaders had to pacify former legislator Govind Ram Sharma, after he threatened to contest as an independent candidate over the denial of ticket. Ratan Pal Singh is close to Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur. He (Anurag) had specially flown in for the nomination filing of Ratan Pal Singh. Ratan Pal had unsuccessfully contested against former chief minister Virbhadra Singh in this constituency in 2017. Virbhadra Singh had opted to contest from here after he fielded his son from Shimla (Rural) constituency which he represented after his home constituency Rohru was reserved.
So BJP will wait with bated breath for the results on November 2 when votes are counted. Just wait and watch on which side does the camel sit ?
(Chander Sharma)
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