Municipal Corp election a golden test: Jai Ram Thakur
Shimla: Politics is the game of opportunities and only those who win elections rise to the power. So is the case with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trying to prove its foothold in the state. The BJP, which has been on a winning spree ever since its return to power in 2017, faces yet another crucial test in four Municipal Corporation polls, slated for April 7.
Though, the state assembly polls still have more than 20 months to go but few things have made the upcoming civic bodies elections politically significant for the BJP as the party is working hard at the organisational level to break a historical notion that Himachal Pradesh never re-elects an outgoing government.
It was the first time, the elections were being held on the party symbols. This is, of course, a calculated risk which Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, 56, has taken. Apparently believing that he faces a lesser risk of losing than his BJP predecessor Prem Kumar Dhumal in 2012.
Dhumal had done a similar trial in Shimla but the move boomeranged. Then there was only one Municipal Corporation at Shimla. It was left-wing CPM –first time in Shimla's civic history witnessed the rise of young leaders viz Sanjay Chauhan and Tikender Singh Panwar to the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively.
Now Himachal Pradesh has five Municipal Corporations, four out of these (barring Shimla) are going to the polls. Notably again, three of these –Solan, Palampur and Mandi were created by the Jai Ram Thakur government in October 2020 while fourth one i.e Dharamshala was formed by the earlier Congress government in 2015. Mandi being Chief Minister's own district puts him at greater test to his popularity as had been handling the government for past three years and enjoying absolutely free hand, and powerful backing of the BJP organisation, even the RSS cadres.
Right now, the Congress is at its lowest ebb lacking a united face, organisational network, leadership with mass appeal, resources and command. This is definitely an advantage to Thakur. But, some dominant local civic issues, apart from rebellion over tickets distribution and disillusionment brewing in a section of the BJP's present dispensation may queer the pitch for Chief Minister at Dharamshala, Palampur and Solan even as he goes strong in home town Mandi.
If he emerges victorious after having seen the BJP willing all four Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and thereafter two byelections to the state assembly and most recently PRIs, the BJP can recently view it as vaccination dose to power against the Congress' possible resurgence to 2022 polls.
