With CM Sukhu’s frequent visits, Kangra again takes centre stage
Over the past two weeks, Sukhu has conducted at least five visits to the district, covering 8 of the total 15 assembly constituencies in Kangra. During these visits, he dedicated developmental projects worth hundreds of crores. The constituencies he visited include Nagrota-Bagwan, Dehra, Baijnath, Indora, Fatehpur, Palampur, Jaisinghpur, and Sullah.
Known for its political significance in the hill state, Kangra, the largest district of Himachal Pradesh, has once again taken centre stage in the state’s political arena with chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s recent frequent visits to the district.
Over the past two weeks, Sukhu has conducted at least five visits to the district, covering 8 of the total 15 assembly constituencies in Kangra. During these visits, he dedicated developmental projects worth hundreds of crores. The constituencies he visited include Nagrota-Bagwan, Dehra, Baijnath, Indora, Fatehpur, Palampur, Jaisinghpur, and Sullah. Earlier, he visited Jaswan-Pragpur and Shahpur assembly constituencies.
Many observers in the region perceive these actions as an attempt to appease the local populace and strengthen the chief minister’s influence over the MLAs from the district, particularly in the aftermath of a recent political crisis faced by the party during the Rajya Sabha polls.
Disgruntled Congress leaders who rebelled against the Sukhu government and their supporters have accused the Congress-led government of neglecting Kangra. Notably, among those who cross-voted in favour of BJP in RS polls was Sudhir Sharma, the now-disqualified Congress MLA from Dharamshala.
Kangra’s political significance can be gauged by a popular saying in the state, “the road to Shimla goes through Kangra.” This highlights that a hold over Kangra is crucial to run a government in Himachal Pradesh. In 2022, Congress bagged 10 out of 15 seats in Kangra.
After the recent crisis, the Sukhu government also gave cabinet rank to Fatehpur MLA Bhawani Singh Pathania and appointed him deputy chairperson of the planning board. On Thursday, Shahpur MLA Kewal Singh Pathania was also appointed deputy chief whip as well.
Professor Harish K Thakur, from department of political science at Himachal Pradesh University, said, “This is all survival strategy of the Sukhu and Congress party in the state. As most of the rebellion he faced was from new Himachal and that is why he may be focusing on this area,” he said, adding that Sudhir Sharma’s wide mass base is a big challenge to the current government.
BJP sees it as a damage control political stunt ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Vipin Singh Parmar, BJP leader and former assembly speaker, who represents Sullah constituency in Kangra district, said that since the formation of this government over a year ago, the needs and aspirations of the people, including farmers, youth, and the marginalised, have been consistently overlooked. “Chief minister’s recent flurry of visits appears more like a hasty attempt to address these long-standing grievances,” he said.
“The negligence of Kangra by this government has led to a decline in public trust in the government’s ability to address pressing issues. We have seen in recent Rajya Sabha polls, Congress MLAs did not vote for their own party’s candidate, which showed the growing dissatisfaction among legislators towards the government’s performance. These visits are a mere political manoeuvre aimed at rectifying the administration’s failures ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
Chander Kumar, Jawali MLA and agriculture minister of Himachal Pradesh, said that Sukhu’s recent visits were not attempts at damage control. “Congress party remains cohesive, with all MLAs supporting Sukhu. All the nine party MLAs from Kangra are behind CM Sukhu. These visits are aimed at fulfilling his commitments to the people of Kangra and addressing their concerns,” he said.
About the recent crisis, Kumar acknowledged the challenges of accommodating all MLAs within the government, noting that while efforts were made to maintain balance and accommodate representatives, not everyone could be appointed as ministers. “It was not uncommon for senior leaders to be left out of the cabinet, this had occurred in the past as well,” he said.
