Electrol bonds may ruin the impeccable integrity of BJP in the Lok Sabha elections
On the brink of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election overlapping it with electoral bonds disclosure may ruin the impeccable integrity of the BJP government which claimed itself the world’s largest political outfit.
The way it came forth that BJP encashed electoral bonds tunes to Rs 6060.50 Cr from 2019 to Match 2024 several big corporates are being found in quid pro quo with the ruling party forcing the SBI and ECI to make a futile attempt to knock the door of Supreme Court.
Many purchasers of electoral bonds were faced with the search for ED and many of them also purchased Electrol bonds after they had been facing the heat of central agencies. Several pharma and construction companies that entered into contracts also purchased Electrol bonds.
The election tempo is likely to gain heat with the exposure of new stories as several media houses and collectives are already investigating the angle of quid pro quo. Himachal Pradesh which has only four Lok Sabha seats houses UltraTech cement, Adani Cement, API pharma companies like Torrento, Dr Reddy Sun Pharma, and RPPL, etc could impact the outcome of the election. In the operation areas of the above firms BJP won the LS election and Vidhansabha election also.
80 to 85 percent literacy rate of the state and close-knit society may impact the trending of voting due to fire backing of the electoral bond issue.
BJP which won all four LS seats in 2014 and 2019 may lock in a close contest when the state has a Congress government. BJP is considered on strong footing in Hamirpur but in Shimla, Mandi, and Kangra it would not be so easy this time.
The 2024 LS election is also being considered a litmus test for Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu but if the BJP gets trapped in the inevitable electoral bonds scam BJP could not sail safely. It was forced to change the candidate in Kangra and Mandi as former candidates and sitting MPs are being trusted by the party.
The absence of a Central Government from the ground zero in the rainy monsoon furry and merely Nitin Gadkari’s announcement to improve the affected National Highway also increased the distance between BJP leaders, especially central leaders, and electorates. 2022 Assembly election BJP leader lost by less than one percent votes as its state leadership was overconfident of its victory.
BJP successfully created a coup in the recent Rajyasabha election and managed to win a lost seat despite having only 25 seats in 68 members assembly.
Now the ball is in the court of state electorates who are keenly watching the BJP-sponsored coup to topple the Congress government. Now Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who had blamed the Narendra Modi government for toppling his government may earn sympathy and anti-incumbency against the previous BJP government and the incumbency of the Modi government and exposure of the Electrol bonds issue may not be a cakewalk for it to retain all the four LS seats. A long time for an election campaign would likely give an advantage to the state government which has almost lost three months in Monsoon devastation and the Hospitalization of the Chief minister for more than one month.
In Hamirpur Parliamentary simultaneous bye-elections for the four assembly seats and one each in Mandi and Kangra Parliamentary are likely to make the contest do and die for both ruling and opposition parties.
Congress which is facing defection is on a weak footing but the BJP which has given an important weapon of electoral bonds to the leader of Congress would gain heat in the coming summer of the cool hill state during elections.
