Rebels a thorn in the Congress flesh in Kinnaur

With electioneering having picked up here rather unexpectedly, the contest has become keen and interesting. Perhaps conscious of its strength and the advantages of being in power, the BJP is not insisting on the withdrawal of HVC candidate S. C. Negi who should have been, in keeping with the BJP-HVC tie-up, made to retire by Sukh Ram. The BJP has, in fact, begun to exploit his presence because of his background as a Youth Congress leader, before he had revolted and joined the Sukh Ram camp.

Also queering the pitch for the Congress candidate is another prominent Congress leader Rattan Manjri, a staunch Virbhadra loyalist, who is in the fray as an Independent, her candidature having been turned down by the Congress high command.

Known for its Kinnauri apples, this constituency extends up to the border with China. Kinnauras (Negis) are a dominant caste among its 47,000 voters who hold Virbhadra Singh in high esteem but do not make a traditional Congress vote-bank. The BJP draws comfort from the fact that the voters here generally go with the party in power.

The BJP campaign managers are trying to convince the people about the advantages of electing a ruling party candidate. “The real issue is who can deliver the goods and accelerate the pace of development in the tribal belt whose economy largely depends upon cash crops, including apple or other fruits” Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal says.

During his recent campaign tour of Kinnaur, former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh tried to strike an emotional chord with the tribals. He pleaded with the people to “pardon” the Congress or any mistake it had committed in the past in matters of development or choice of candidate and strengthen its hands. His close confidant and former minister Gangu Ram Musafir, who is perhaps the lone party leader working overnight and touring every single village, is wooing the Harijan votes whose strength is more than 10,000. This is causing consternation in the BJP camp.

For the ruling party, Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda has been camping here for the past two weeks. The other prominent campaigners include Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta who has been especially sent here to dispel any fears about the BJP Government’s policy on apple industry.

Government employees, who had been openly supporting and campaigning for the Congress have now changed the track. Among the trades, some annoyed with Jagat Singh Negi when the Wangtoo bridge got washed away, over the denial of support, might go with the BJP. The locals, especially in the Pooh belt, are keeping their cards close to the chest. The fight seems to head for a close finish.

S. C. Negi enjoys a major advantage over his rivals as his father, an “Avtari” (reincarnated) Lama, has a large pocket of influence in the Pooh sub-division. Negi had pleaded his case with the BJP leaders but to no success. Manjri, another Congress rebel, also hails from the same area and holds influence in the Ribba belt. But she was not given any weightage by the Congress leadership. Manjri had filed her nomination in the 1995 by-election also but had withdrawn following intervention by Virbhadra Singh. Confident of winning the seat, Manjri rules out her retirement.