Emergence of AAP in Himachal
(By Baldev Sharma editor and founder of Shail Hindi weekly )
Despite the obstacles, after Mandi, AAP’s second rally in Shahpur, Kangra was also successful. Even the questions of Shanta and Mankotia could not stop the public. Even JP Nadda’s public meeting could not reduce Kejriwal’s influence. The meaning of so many people coming to listen to Kejriwal even after there is no formal unit of AAP in the state. Is the coming of the public not a demand for change?
After the unexpected victory in Punjab, as soon as Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has announced to contest elections in Himachal, the equations of both the BJP and Congress parties in the state have started changing and deteriorating. Because the leaders and workers of both the parties have started going to AAP. Ahead of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s Mandi roadshow, the issue of photographs of Bhindranwala and flags of Khalistan on the vehicles of some tourists from Punjab arose. The personal reaction of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur came on this. Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar wrote a letter to Jai Ram Thakur to raise the issue of Shanan power project. When these issues came to the fore, it seemed that Kejriwal’s proposed road show in Mandi would be affected by this. But Mandi’s successful roadshow proved that all these efforts were nothing more than “Khisayani Cathi Khamba Noche”.
After the Mandi rally, to counter Kejriwal, the son of Himachal’s national president Jagat Prakash Nadda took the front. Road shows were organized in Shimla and rally in Peterhof. On the eve of this event, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, MP from Hamirpur, was also fielded and in the middle of the night, three big leaders of AAP were inducted into the BJP. All this happened at Nadda’s residence. But the very next day the chairs were found empty in Nadda’s public meeting. Meanwhile, Kejriwal’s Shahpur rally was declared. To make this rally a failure, again a day before Kejriwal’s meeting, Jagat Prakash Nadda’s road show and public meeting was organized in Nagrota-Bagwan on 22nd April. Former minister Vijay Singh Mankotia also came to the field to shoot questions at Kejriwal. Indeed, multiple sharp questions were dropped in a press conference. A Kangra person was sponsored. In this too, questions were pricked on Kejriwal. This became very viral on social media platforms. But despite so many indirect/direct efforts, Kejriwal’s meeting was very successful. This success has come at a time when no organization of yours is duly declared. AAP has become the center of discussion in Himachal today due to Kejriwal’s performance in Delhi and similar success in Punjab.
All the efforts made by the state government and BJP to stop AAP indirectly proves that the psychological pressure of AAP is increasing continuously on the government. The Mufti’s announcements made by the Chief Minister are a direct proof of this. Adding to this psychological pressure, Kejriwal has taunted the Chief Minister for copying him in the public meeting. How much this taunt is targeting can be estimated from the reaction of the Chief Minister. When the Chief Minister replied that the people of the state are not robbers but are hardworking. Then the Chief Minister forgot that Kejriwal had accused the governments in the state of looting the state. This allegation of Kejriwal can also be made from the rising debt figures on the state and the comments on the government in the CAG reports. But till now questions related to the state have not been raised from your side. Rather, it would be more correct to say that no such person has come forward in AAP’s state unit so far who will start asking sharp questions related to the state to BJP and Congress. Because the questions will be asked only from BJP and Congress, which are occupying the power of the state alternately. The questions which have been raised by Shanta Kumar and Mankotia now have to be answered on them as well because these people have also been participants in power. Today, every question asked about the state will also be asked to every leader who has been associated with the power of the state.
In such a situation, it becomes an important sign that people are coming to Kejriwal’s meetings at a time when even AAP’s unit is not duly constituted in the state. Even in this situation, people coming to listen to Kejriwal in such numbers shows that people really want an alternative to BJP and Congress. Time to come will tell whether it can fulfill this expectation of you people or not.
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.
