Triangular contest in State capital Shimla
Shimla is most urban and literate Assembly Constituency house people of various regions, ethnicity and relegion is facing triangular contest between BJP, Congress, CPI (M) moreover AAP and an Independent candidate is also in a fray. BJP put Sanjay Sood in fray who belongs to Sood community and party projecting him Chaiwala (Tea-vendor) a commoner. The Congress party lost continue three assembly election from Shimla AC has put party two time rebel and Virbhadra Singh layalist Harish Janartha as party contender. Janartha is former deputy mayor and hailed from Rohru area of Shimla district. Former Deputy Mayor of Shimla Tekinder Panwar is in the fray from CPI(M) entered in public life from student politics and he belonged to Solan district from a Rajpoot family. AAP also put a Chaman Rakesh in the fray who is local businessman. An Independent candidate and young Himachal Pradesh High court lawyer Abhishek Barowalia is also in the fray along with BSP candidate Rajesh Kumar Gill and Rashtriya Devbhumi Party ( a upper caste party) Kalyan Singh are fray.
There are about 48 thousands plus electoral in Shimla. The demography of electoral is divided into Employees and ex-servicemen , businessman, Students, Apple growers and migratory workers etc. Most of Employees, ex-servicemen and Apple growers and students are from upper area of Shimla district. There are around 8000 voters belonged to upper area of Shimla district. The polestar consider that huge chunk of votes get polled in favor of Congress. BJP have stronghold over business community or traders. Being putting Sood community candidate BJP tried to play cards of non-hills voters which have strong presence. Out of seven candidate only two belonged to hills and rest are from non-hills. Tekinder Singh Panwar who belonged Solan district have stronghold on Employees, hotel workers and migratory workers and Muslim voters. Congress candidates have stronghold among Congress business voters and Employees and apple growers. BJP MLA Suresh Bhardwaj won in 2017 Assembly poll by margin of around 1903 votes as Bhardwaj got 14012 votes, Harish Janarth (Independent) 12109, Harbhajan Singh Bajji(Cong) 2680 and Sanjay Chauhan (CPI(M) 3047 vote. Congress could won from Shimla in 2017 if it didn’t deny ticket to Janartha however party not made same mistake. Suresh Bhardwaj who is Urban Development Minister and Law Minister did not got ticket from Shimla and given ticket from Congress Bastion Kasumpti. Sanjay Sood is party Shimla Mandal Chief and greenhorn the state Electoral politics. He was elected Shimla MC councilor on BJP ticket. He is party treasurer. Sanjay sood have support of 12000 to 13000 sood community votes if he succeeds to garner 75 pc sood votes. He would have humble beginning of at least 9750 minimum votes. BJP having strong anti incumbency wave could have to bear loss of number of votes. There are around 4000 Gharwal or Uttrakhand votes may be polled in favour of Sanjay Sood or Tekinder Singh Panwar as both candidate are strong holds on the community. Tekinder Singh Panwar elected in 2012 Shimla Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor direct election got 17800 votes defeating BJP have strong presence in every street and Colony. He is riding on the byecycle from one ward to another is popular face in the town. He is lashing out BJP triple engine Government for misuse of public funds reckless concrete and iron super structures and removing chiseled stones wall with heavy RCC structures. Tekinder Singh Panwar also lashed out ruling BJP for installing flowers pots in the jungle exposing Shimla MC to misuse world bank and Asian Development Bank funding for building logistics and upgradation of mobility and water and sewerage system covered under the Smart City project. Sanjay sood however could not directly responsible for the mess but BJP have to face the consequences owing to it. Shimla MC Election couldn’t be held in time due to faulty delimitation process being done by the Administration under the garb of state government. Harish Janarth who have support of Virbhadra Singh earlier is canvassing without his support. If Employees and pensioners who are in large numbers in the town being state capital may help Janartha if they vote for OPS alone which Congresss have promised. There is sizable section section of Congress business voters which may help Janartha. BJP accused Harish Janarth to have strong link with drug and Liquor cartel succeed to confine check him under 12110 may be strongest contender for the seat same issue not figured against him. Suresh Bhardwaj who is four time MLA have strong 4000 to 5000 vote bank, may help Tekinder Singh Panwar or prefer NOTA. Anti-incumbency also figures among hill voters against BJP as party could not handle successive apple season and stood with corporate houses. The business man and apple growers have sizable presence among voters also agitating against exorbitant GST on packaging material and packed food items. AAP likely to confine its campaign in lower Himachal Pradesh have strong influence and popular face. The OPS, inflation, construction and urban development like expansion in parking, transport are some of big issue among voters in the constituency.
Why anti incumbency wave against BJP.
Triple engine government have incumbency among the electoral as present MLA Suresh Bhardwaj who is winning consecutively for three terms. During BJP MC Government town face biggest water crisis of last two century. Shimla Development Plan which affects voters of towns and suburbs was declared illegal by National Green Tribunal. BJP came out with controversial free housing scheme for the slum dwellers by passing a legislation in last monsoon session couldn’t bring the issue to logical conclusion. Out of 41 Smart City project 25 couldn’t completed due to NGT blanket ban on multistory construction in the core and heritage area. No progress was made to make alternate Transport system and privatization of water and sewerage system forced to bear by consumer who were being footed hefty bills. Jai Ram Thakur providing relaxation in power and water supply in the rural areas vis a vis to urban are discriminated urban areas by putting massive burden of tax, user charges and fuel prices on the customer. Urban woman have to face the burnt of costly LPG cylinder, exorbitant school fees and other collection. State Government couldn’t regulate the private school to end their monopoly moreover fee was increased many folds in the public education and professional Institution putting the every household to depend upon Educational loans. The every household budget was disturbed over increasing financial fraud and increasing burden of EMI on the urban house holds. State government could not declarer increased instalment or release of dues to Employees and pensioners after implantation of sixth pay commission. State government could not provide solace to dependent of those employees who died during the service. Rejecting their demand for old pension scheme, Jai Ram Thakur challenged the employees to fight Assembly poll if they are to keen to seek pension like MPs and MLAs
