With the BJP going full throttle in its campaign to secure Himachal under its kitty for the second consecutive term, the Congress seems to be facing a daunting task to score an upset win with the party going into the poll battle without their most potent electoral face Virbhadra Singh who passed away last year.
Over the years the party has managed to pore over its internal fissures with former CM Virbhadra acting as a glue and making its election charge trifle easier. But this time the party will have to make do with his widow Pratibha Singh who has given charge of the party ranks some months back. The state unit has been riddled with factionalism and despite Pratibha asserting that `all were on board, the situation on the ground seems challenging.
“Whatever controversies he may have courted with allegations of corruption, it’s a fact that he was the numero uno leader who could galvanize the party structure in the shortest possible time. Even when he was unwell, he commanded the respect of different factions. His not being around, definitely puts Congress at a disadvantage,’’ commented a senior Himachal Congress leader.
To add to the woes of the party are the exit of some senior leaders ahead of the polls. It has already lost two senior campaigners, Pawan Kajal and Lakhwinder Rana. The two-party MLAs represented politically critical Kangra and Solan regions of the state. The party fears that more could be on their way out once the list of candidates for the 68 constituencies is declared. “Some could go given that even in the finalization of tickets there are issues. It could further dent the prospects,’’ admitted a leader.
A reason why many believe that Virbhadra’s absence could prove decisive. “He could have ensured that all settled down with the party high command’s choice. Now we don’t have a tall leader who could ensure that all come on board,’’ admitted a leader.
The party faces a huge crisis in terms of who is leading the battle for the 2022 polls. Unlike the BJP which is not only riding high on the charisma of its star campaigner PM Narendra Modi and what it calls the governance track record of Jai Ram Thakur, the Congress seems to be left wanting in who is the star campaigner. Even Rahul Gandhi, who is busy with his Bharat Jodo yatra hasn’t quite made any contribution to the party’s campaign yet and the party had to rope in Priyanka Gandhi for a rally recently.
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