Emboldened by the BJP’s splendid victory in four states –UP, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, BJP national President J P Nadda seems to have taken the party’s poll command In Himachal Pradesh completely in his hand for replicating the experiment in his home state ,going to be polls by end of the year.
On Friday ,Nadda arrived to welcome Kangra –Himachal Pradesh’s biggest district known for changing the political landscape of the state in any assembly election.
This was Nadda’s second visit to Himachal Pradesh within the last 10 days. He held an impressive roadshow and addressed a mammoth rally ,held at Nagrota Bhawan ,which had remained a Congress stronghold of former minister G S Bali, who died some months back .
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had been camping in Kangra for the past two days to oversee party’s mobilisation for BJP national President ,and to accord him a welcome for the party victory in the four states—where the incumbent government had never returned to power successively a second time.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the political culture of the country . Those parties (not naming congress) who have been ruling the country on politics of castes, communal slogans, regionalism ,nepotism, dynasty’s and localism, have lost the ground and can't hoodwink the public anymore . it’s only vikaswad ( development agenda) ,which is at work” Nadda declared adding that “ this is a different politics and people are thus voting BJP back to power”.
The government has been repeated in UP after 37 years. The Congress forfeited its 387 seats in UP. Aam Aadmi Party's security was forfeited in 377 seats.
Nadda said “the governments in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa are ours, and now it is Himachal's turn with your blessings.”
The party will break the myth that the ruling party gets packed off within five years in Himachal Pradesh .This principle or perception will not stand in BJP’s way anymore .
Nadda said the central government’s welfare agenda and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur ‘s fast-track development schemes has brought around a meaningful change in the lives of the people .This is a visible impact of double engine government “
During his last tour in Shimla , Nadda had ruled-out possibilities of any change in leadership in the state ahead of the poll.
Jai Ram Thakur ,he says ,will remain the party's Chief Ministerial face and he will form the next government .
At the Kangra rally , he termed the BJP government as the most proactive and responsive government.
He launched a scathing attack against the congress alleging that the party had always usurped the rights of Himachal ,which the BJP protected whenever it returned to power in the state or centre.
Nadda reminded that special category status for Himachal Pradesh ,which had always helped in getting more funds from the centre in ratio of 90;10 ( Grant: Loans) was withdrawn .When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, he himself gave back the status of Special Category State to Himachal.
In 2003, Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave industrial package to Himachal and in 2009 that too was taken away by the congress under Dr Manmohan Singh.
He complimented the Prime Minister for handling Covid pandemic crisis .
“Earlier, medicines for diseases were available to the whole world but India used to wait for this for a long time .But Prime Minister Modi, set an example to the world by launching two vaccines made in India .
“Today everyone is sitting in this public meeting without a mask, so all this has been possible because of the vaccine. India also gave vaccines to other countries like Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Afghanistan” he said.
The BJP national president also listed-out centre’s schemes like health cover of five lakhs under Ayushman Bharat scheme, free ration, housing scheme , Sahara Yojana,Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana –all having brought changes in the lives of people ,especially the women.
“Recently there have been reports that 12 percent of India's population has been lifted out of poverty. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the owner of the house is not the male member ,but a woman .This is empowerment Modi has done” he said
Kangra ,which has 15 assembly seats ,of which BJP had won 11 in 2017 ,beside one Independent also supporting the party.
Thus, even Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is trying to gain its foothold in the state, is making Kangra as its next target with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal planning his second show of strength on Saturday (April 23) in the district at Shahpur –a constituency adjoining Dharamshala .
Earlier he had held a roadshow in Mandi , Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur's home district on April 6.
AAP is still looking for a strong political face in the state to give its agenda a push in the hill state ,which till now has been a bastion of the congress and BJP–both replacing each other every five years.
Also Read: AAP eyes Himachal ,Cong takes back seat but will BJP let it spread its wings in hills?
