Mandi (Munish Sood)
The results of the Delhi Assembly elections, in which the BJP threw AAP out of power, are expected to impact the politics in Himachal Pradesh too, a tiny state where both ruling Congress and opposition BJP are currently witnessing organisational changes.
The challenges are more for the ruling Congress as Himachal Pradesh is among the only three states where the party is in power on its own — the others being Karnataka and Telangana.
The opposition BJP, on the other hand, is learnt to be struggling to have leaders of various factions on the same page for electing a new state party president. The rebellion by Kangra BJP stalwart and former minister Ramesh Dhawala recently exposed fissures within the state BJP.
The Himachal Pradesh Congress is grappling with significant internal challenges as the party is yet to have in place a new organisational structure, all of which were dissolved by national president Mallikarjun Kharge more than two months ago.
2 months on, Congress yet to form organisational structure
Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh is the only office-bearer the party currently has, which can prove detrimental to its prospects in the forthcoming elections to panchayat and other rural bodies.
Prior to the dissolution, the Himachal Pradesh Congress had suffered due to internal divisions. A key incident occurred in February 2024 when six Congress MLAs cross-voted in favour of a BJP candidate during the Rajya Sabha elections for the lone seat.
The rebellion had exposed dissatisfaction within the Congress ranks, particularly among those excluded from prominent cabinet positions. While the Speaker disqualified the errant MLAs, the damage to the party’s cohesion and image was significant.
Sukhu government yet to fulfil all promises
The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has faced difficulties in delivering its key campaign promises.
A major commitment to provide Rs 1,500 monthly allowances for women aged 18 to 60 remains unfulfilled, further fueling public discontent. The state’s fiscal health has also worsened, with the government turning to heavy borrowing to manage its budget deficit, raising concerns about long-term economic sustainability. These issues have eroded public confidence in the Congress-led administration.
The outcome of the Delhi Assembly elections has cast a long shadow on Himachal Pradesh politics. The BJP’s landslide victory in Delhi has reinvigorated the party’s image, providing a boost to its national presence.
This success, seen as a validation of BJP’s strategies, could have ripple effects in neighbouring states, including Himachal Pradesh. The BJP is likely to leverage this momentum to challenge Congress’s dominance in Himachal, capitalising on Congress’s internal instability and governance failures.
