Himachal Pradesh: political history
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Muslim issues
Congress high command gets name plate order rescinded/ 2024
Sanjeev Verma, Sep 27, 2024: The Times of India
Shimla : Congress disowned with a disclaimer and a rebuke Thursday Himachal Pradesh urban development minister Vikramaditya Singh’s announcement of an “UP-like decision” to make it mandatory for restaurants, fast food outlets and roadside vendors to prominently display ownership details to ensure accountability for hygiene and food safety.
“So far, govt has not taken any decision on mandatory display of nameplates or other identification of owners on their food stalls,” a spokesperson for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhuled Congress ministry said.
Congress sources said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge was “embarrassed” by the episode and had asked for Vikramaditya, who was in New Delhi, to be warned against making any such remark on “sensitive issues” without the govt’s consent.
Congress’s HP incharge Rajeev Shukla made an official statement in Jammu about discussing the “issue” with Sukhu and seeking a “clarification” from Vikramaditya. “No vendor needs to display ownership details. No such directive has either come from the CM or govt,” Shuklasaid.
State govt confirmed that a seven-member panel, also including BJP MLAs, headed by industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan had been set up on Sept 20 to frame a street vendors policy.
Vikramaditya, son of PCC chief Pratibha Singh and the late Virbhadra Singh, said Wednesday that HP had decided to follow UP govt’s lead in making owners of eateries and roadside stalls and carts display their names as part of a food safety and hygiene drive. UP govt had issued the directive, a revised version of the one linked to Kanwar Yatra routes that Supreme Court had set aside in July, the previous day.
Vikramaditya jumping the gun on the decision to regulate food vending harks back to the rift between chief minister Sukhu’s camp and state party chief Pratibha’s faction earlier this year. On Feb 28, Vikramaditya announced his resignation as a cabinet minister at a presser amid brewing discontent over Sukhu remaining chief minister.
This happened a day after six Congress MLAs cross-voted in RS elections, leading to party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi losing to BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan. Vikramaditya had then accused Sukhu of overlooking various MLAs’ contribution and stifling their voices.
2024
Cong govt in HP in crisis as 6 MLAs say 26 want Sukhu out
February 28, 2024: The Times of India
Cross-voting, an ailing MLA being airlifted, a tie resolved by draw of lots resulting in a loss for Congress: The election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal was full of drama and set the stage for BJP to mount a no confidence move against the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu govt, and triggered calls from within for the exit of the CM, reports Anand Bodh.
With 40 Congress MLAs in the 68-strong assembly and three Independents supposedly backing the party, its candidate Abhishek Singhvi was expected to cruise to a win. But BJP’s Harsh Mahajan, ended up with 34 votes, as six Congress MLAs crossvoted. They claimed that a total of 26 MLAs were unhappy with Sukhu, and wanted him replaced as CM.
2024, Lok Sabha elections
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June 5, 2024: The Times of India
From: June 5, 2024: The Times of India
Shimla: The “Modi factor” appears to have done the trick once again for BJP in Himachal Pradesh, making it a hattrick of victories for the party in all four Lok Sabha seats. After failing to open its account in the 2014 and 2019 LS polls, the governing Congress’s hopes of victory were dashed a third time.
Despite both the CM and deputy CM being from Hamirpur, Congress could not win this LS seat, nor could it win Shimla seat despite half the cabinet hailing from here.
Failure to pit a strong candidate against BJP’s Anurag Thakur, who was contesting his fifth consecutive election from Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, cost the governing party.
Congress had initially planned to field deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and his daughter, Aastha Agnihotri, but they refused, citing family reasons. There was also speculation that CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife would contest, but the party finally settled on former Una MLA Satpal Raizada. Congress’s attempt to make Agniveer, the old pension scheme and expansion of the rail network as election issues did not help it against BJP.
Saffron candidate Kangana Ranaut won in Mandi. Congress politicians had targeted her on the “beef” issue but it seems BJP’s slogan “Mandi ki Beti” and Modi’s defence of her worked in her favour, as did support from women voters.
Congress candidate and state PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh, son of the late former CM Virbhadra Singh and state Congress president Pratibha Singh, could not cash in on the “royal” factor or developmental works carried out by his late father in Mandi Lok Sabha area.
BJP had relied on sitting MP Suresh Kashyap by fielding him once again from Shimla, while Congress had fielded Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri, whose father, the late KD Sultanpuri, had won this seat six times. But Kashyap managed to win.
In Kangra, after BJP denied a ticket to sitting MP Kishan Kapoor, who had won the 2019 LS election by 4,77,623 votes, and fielded Rajeev Bhardwaj from this seat, Congress was hoping to win and had fielded former Union minister Anand Sharma. But BJP managed to counter Sharma by projecting Bhardwaj as a “son of the soil”. Kangra’s voters were also not happy with the representation of the constituency in govt.
