Change of Guard in Himachal Pradesh

BJP swept the assembly election 2017 in Himachal by winning 44 seats out of 68 assembly seats; however its Chief Minster candidate and party Chief lost their respective seats. Congress tally was reduced to meager 21 seats from 36 seats they won in 2012 assembly elections; five of its cabinet ministers failed to retain their assembly seats. Communist Party of India (Marxist) opened its account by winning the Theog constituency seat, two independent candidates won from Jogindernagar and Dehra constituency seats. BJP bagged 48.8% votes compared to 37.47 % in the 2012 assembly elections. Whereas congress got 41.7% votes compared to 42.81% in the last elections. Which meant congress was able to retain its majority votes percentage; whereas BJP augmented its vote percentage by 11.33 percent-this made all the difference. In the last elections other parties' vote percentage was 18.72% and this around it came down 8.3%. 0.9 % of voters in the state pressed NOTA.

Congress, from the start of this election, looked in disarray: many factions and rifts within the party organization were on display. Its whole campaign gave a tired and retired look. Candidates in many of the constituencies were decided at the eleventh hour (Congress ticket in Theog constituency was decided on the last day of nomination). Not much support came from Delhi as well, it looked congress gave more thrust on the Gujrat campaign. In short, it relied too heavily on Shri Virbhadra Singh. Whereas their counterpart BJP, looked like a well-oiled machine: organized, resourceful, well planned with pedantry analysis of the voter and campaigned with a purpose. It set a target of 50 plus seats-- almost achieved it.  

For almost two-decade and a half, the Chief Minister post of the state has alternatively swung from Shri Virbhadra Singh to Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal. As the former was not able to save his Government and the latter lost his assembly seat it’s very likely now that a new man will hold the highest office of the State. Change, in a democracy always augers well: it ushers a new vision leaving its past behind with the hope of prosperity for voters. Meanwhile, all of us should savor Democracy as voters rejected the status quo and vote for a change: Change for good.