Journalism of Courage
In keeping with the “riwaaz” (trend) of rotational governments in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress clinched the recent Assembly polls, the party’s first victory after a long hiatus, although the incumbent Jairam Thakur dispensation backed by the BJP central leadership had mounted a high-voltage campaign.
The Congress wrested the state from the saffron party, winning 40 of the total 68 seats as against the latter’s 25 seats.
The Congress central leadership picked the 58-year-old four-time party MLA, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, son of a bus driver who sold milk in his youth, to helm its government in the hill state, overruling the aggressive claim made on the chief ministerial post by state party chief Pratibha Singh, the widow of late ‘Raja’ Virbhadra Singh, the six-time chief minister and an erstwhile royal family scion.
Along with CM Sukhu, Mukesh Agnihotri took oath as his deputy over a fortnight ago, with the formation of the entire Congress ministry still hanging fire, which reflected the pulls and pressures within the faction-ridden party unit in the state.
In one of his first administrative decisions, Sukhu announced the closure of over 500 entities and departments set up by the previous BJP government since April 1, dismissing them as part of the latter’s “vote-bank tactics”.
Jairam, who has now become the Leader of Opposition (LoP), has threatened to launch a statewide protest if this move is not rolled back by the Sukhu government.
The new year is going to be a litmus test for Sukhu’s leadership, whose ascension to the top post came at the cost of several state party leaders vying for it.
The Sukhu government has its task cut out now. Its key challenges would be to fulfil some major “populist” promises it has made to the Himachal people ahead of the polls, especially its pledge to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for the government employees.
The Congress is also set to start gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, looking to extend its winning streak in the state.
For the BJP too, the upcoming year is going to be crucial in view of the 2024 polls. In its role as the principal Opposition, the party is expected to take on the Congress government aggressively, closely tracking the implementation of various schemes and programmes in a bid to corner it. The party seems to be working out its roadmap in the state for the future.
A number of major development projects are coming up in the state, ranging from the construction of four-lane highways to the setting up of an ambitious ropeway project.
Himachal, which has immense ecological significance, is also said to be witnessing the effects of climate change. Heavy rains and landslides became a common phenomenon in the hill state during the monsoon season this year. Experts said in the course of the year a large amount of rainfall has been recorded in a brief period triggering several weather-related incidents in the state. It is to be seen how the new government addresses these crucial environment and climate issues.
