Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, October 11
It is dynasty coupled with sympathy versus non-dynasty in the byelections to the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency and Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai Assembly seats that are going to the polls on October 30.
The four seats fell vacant after the demise of two Congress and two BJP leaders ndash; Ram Swaroop Sharma (BJP MP from Mandi) and Narender Bragta (BJP MLA from Jubbal-Kotkhai) and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Congress leader Sujan Singh Pathania, both MLAs from the Arki and Fatehpur Assembly constituencies.
The focus has shifted to a "principled" stand taken by the BJP not to promote dynasty while the Congress is making all out efforts to cash in on voters' sympathy by fielding the wife and the son of the Congress leaders.
The BJP has not fielded any candidate from the families of its deceased leaders. The decision of the party is aimed at cornering the Congress for encouraging dynasty as the party has fielded Bhawani Singh Pathania from Fatehpur, a seat vacated due to the death of his father Sujan Singh Pathania.
Hoping to cash in on the sympathy wave, the Congress has given the ticket for Mandi bypoll to Pratibha Singh, wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who died recently.
Meanwhile, the denial of ticket on the pretext of not promoting dynasty has not gone well with supporters of Chetan Bragta, son of former MLA Narender Bragta. He is now contesting as an Independent candidate. He is hoping to win on the crest of double sympathy wave as the party's decision has generated sympathy for him. Bragta had already started campaigning, and covered all 62 panchayats.
Bragta is also striking an emotional chord in his constituency and his supporters are questioning the denial of ticket to him. The electoral battle in Jubbal-Kotkhai is getting interesting with Rohit Thakur, a two-time MLA and grandson of former Chief Minister Ram Lal Thakur, BJP candidate Neelam Saraik, who had been at the forefront of several agitations, and BJP rebel Chetan Bragta, being the main rivals.
The BJP has launched an offensive on dynasty politics while the Congress has queered the pitch by trying to stir the emotions of the voters. Whether the dynasty and emotional appeals will prevail on voters or the non-dynasty plank of the BJP will work in the byelections will be interesting to be seen.
BJP on the offensive
- The Congress has fielded Bhawani Singh from Fatehpur Assembly, a seat vacated by the death of his father Sujan Singh Pathania. The party has given ticket for Mandi bypoll to Pratibha Singh, wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who died recently after illness.
- The BJP has not fielded any candidate from the families of its deceased leaders. The Mandi and Jubbal-Kotkhai seats fell vacant following the death of BJP leaders Ram Swaroop Sharma and Narender Bragta.
- The BJP has launched an offensive on dynasty politics while the Congress has queered the pitch by trying to stir emotions of voters.
