With 16 rallies in Himachal, BJP again falls back on Yogi

In the 2017 Himachal elections too, months after he had emerged as the surprise winner of in the CM tussle within the BJP for the politically crucial UP, Adityanath had been one of the party’s star campaigners.

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The BJP fielded Adityanath in Mandi, Kangra, Kullu, Solan, Una, Hamirpur, Shimla, and Bilaspur districts – covering CM Jai Ram Thakur’s constituency and seats where the BJP is facing rebellion. A meeting was also held in the Theog constituency, where the Congress fears rebels.

BJP leaders said there was a lot of demand to organise Adityanath’s rallies, with support for his government’s controversial measure of razing assets of criminals over alleged improprieties. Much like UP, action against law and order and how that would collapse under a “soft on crime” Congress, remained Adityanath’s pet themes.

Adityanath emphasised that Himachal was a “Devbhoomi”, and asked how the Congress could lead such a state. He accused the Congress of “mocking” Hindu gods and talked about the party’s “commitment” to the Ram Mandir. In Palampur, Adityanath recalled that a resolution for Ram Temple in Ayodhya was first passed at a BJP National Executive in the town.

At one rally, Adityanath said that in UP, the Congress did not have enough seats to even “perform a person’s last rites”. “Out of 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress won only two. At least four people are needed to carry a person even to the cremation ground,” said Adityanath, amid cheers.

In a jibe at the Gandhis, Adityanath told another rally that the Congress first family was known to desert the people in times of need. “Have you ever seen this brother-sister duo (Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Varda) of the Congress during any crisis? On each such occasion, unhe Italy mein naani yaad aati hai, Kullu aur Anni nahin (they suddenly remember their grandmother in Italy, not Kullu or Anni),” said Adityanath. (Sonia Gandhi’s mother passed away earlier this year.)

Adityanath’s narrative was in line with his campaign in UP, where he repeatedly underlined the Opposition’s “absence” in the state.

Among the national issues he raised, Adityanath talked about national security as supreme. He said Himachal youth who join the Army in large numbers contribute in a significant way to this.

People in crowds could be seen holding Adityanath’s posters, some got toy bulldozers to show their support.

The other BJP star campaigners were Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani and Jyotiraditya Scindia. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Anurag Thakur and J P Nadda led the campaign.