Dehra Dun : The results of the recent by-elections in general and that of the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency in particular, has given nightmares to the Congress party in Uttarakhand where elections for the vidhan sabha are slated to be held in Feb next year.
Though the state Congress leaders are putting a brave face and falling back on the old saying that one swallow does not make spring, but the very fact that the party candidates were routed even in states where the Congress is in power is a power indicator that all is not well for the party.
The by-election results have come as a shot-in-the-arm for the ruling BJP here, whose leaders and as also workers were in the doldrums following surveys that the party would not get even 15 of the 70 seats in the vidhan sabha elections.
It was because of this survey and the falling graph of the party that the BJP high command removed Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ as chief minister and replaced him with Maj Gen (retd) B C Khanduri.
However, senior Congress leaders were of the opinion that the results of the bye-elections would definitely have the party think tank pondering on the steps to be taken at the national level to take stock of the situation.
It is obviously the issue of corruption and the Janlokpal Bill that has to be resolved, which was being done by the UPA government at the centre, they added.
Meanwhile a section of the partymen felt that just going by the verdict of Hisar Lok Sabha seat that the Congress prospects are grim in the future would be wrong.
After all Congreess was never strong in Hisar and earlier also the Congress had not won the seat, so to say that it is the check stone for the future would be wrong, they felt.
But the results have definitely boosted the sagging morale of the BJP rank and file in Uttarakhand whereas they have come as a damper for the Congress camp, specially as in Hisar the Anna camp had come out openly and asked the voters not to vote for Congress.
Political observers here fell that while the election bye-results could at best be taken with a pinch of salt, but the fact of the situation remains that all eyes were on these elections, as they were the first after Anna’s campaign, and as such reflected the mood of the people. It appears that there is definitely an anti-Congress feeling, not a wave as of now, they opined.
A journalist with over 40 years of experience, Jagdish Bhatt was Editor, Hill Post (Uttarakhand).
Jagdish had worked with India’s leading English dailies, which include Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer and several other reputed publications. A highly acclaimed journalist, he was a recipient of many awards
Jagdish Bhatt, aged 72, breathed his last on 28th August 2021 at his Dehradun residence.
