There's an undercurrent in Himachal Pradesh, much like what was felt in Punjab days before it went to polls in February this year. The electorate in Punjab at that time only spoke of 'badlaav' (change), but refused to acknowledge whether it was ready to give a chance to the Aam Aadmi Party or whether it only wanted a change of government from the Congress to that of the Shiromani Akali Dal. It eventually voted for 'badlaav', voting in the AAP giving it 92 of the 117 Assembly seats. Congress and Akali Dal that had ruled the state, often taking turns, were sidelined to the margins, with 18 and three seats, respectively. There's a similar yearning for 'badlaav' in the lower Himachal Pradesh where issues such as inflation, unemployment and lack of development are weighing heavy on the mind of the electorate. Amid a triangular contest where AAP is trying to find a foothold, Congress is looking to turn the tide and BJP is hoping to retain power for a second consecutive term, the narrative in the region — home to the biggest district Kangra — revolves around “change”. The BJP can take heart from the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma still holds sway among the voters who have been bombarded with claims of the achievements of the “double engine government” and more that it can achieve. The “double-engine” is a term that the BJP uses to appeal to in state elections claiming that voting for it will prove to be more beneficial for a state’s development as it is in power in the Centre too. As the hill state gears up to exercise its franchise on November 12, voters feel it will be a direct contest between BJP and the Opposition Congress. Shakti Sharma, a private teacher and a resident of Bangana area in Una, says, “AAP had taken off with a bang. They had shown promise. But something seems to have happened to them lately. They seem to have gone low-key”. “Unemployment, inflation, arrogance of leaders is a big issue in Una district. We do not have employment avenues. The inflation has hit us hard. The leaders have only helped those close to them. The subsidy meant for farmers was given only to those who were close to leaders of ruling party,” alleges Sharma. Una has five Assembly segments of which BJP had won three in 2017. Other two are with Congress. Inflation was on the mind of many other voters, who said it was getting difficult for them to afford even an LPG cylinder. “Most of the villagers now have LPG connection. But they are unable to afford a refill as the price for cooking gas has crossed Rs 1,000-mark per cylinder. These are issue of the common man,” says Raghav Guleria, a private entrepreneur at Dehra in Kangra district. Guleria argues that Himachal has always voted for change, choosing the alternative to the ruling party. The ruling BJP, however, is going to polls with the tagline 'Riwaz Badlana Hai (We have to change the practice)', and has launched a “Mission Repeat” in the hill state. Guleria, however, says the BJP is already grappling with rebellion, which could upset its applecart. Several kilometres away from Dehra, Sukru Ram, a resident of Garoh village near Kangra city, is very cryptic. “Winds of change are blowing. I will only say that. Rest you see yourself,” he says. However, Puran Chand, another resident from the same village differs. “There will be no change. People will vote for the ruling party. They have helped the poor so much. I got money to build my house under Prime Minister Awas Yojana. What else could a government do? Opponents would always have an agenda,” he adds. Further ahead, Deepika in Dharmasala city says they are totally disillusioned with the successive governments. “The leaders keep getting richer. They build hotels and malls. What does a common man get? Their children have to leave Himachal to find employment avenues. I have a son, who is in class 9. I am worried for him that he would have to leave us to find a job in some other part of the country. There is no industry in Himachal. There are not many good schools and colleges. There are no sports facilities. It is a sad state of affairs,” says Deepika. As an afterthought, she adds: “I am a fan of Modi ji. But one person cannot bring about a change everywhere.”
