Shimla: The 'Queen' of the hill stations and 'God's own abode' Himachal Pradesh is witnessing a fierce Lok Sabha battle this time. Like the neighbouring Uttarakhand, the ruling Congress is also facing a tough challenge in Himachal Pradesh. The state, which has just four Lok Sabha seats, is voting on May 7.
Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Virbhadra Singh has turned it into a personal battle. He will have to win at least two of the total four seats in the state. His wife and sitting MP Pratibha Singh is seeking re-election from Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Virbhadra Singh is campaigning extensively even in the remote parts of the snow deserts of the constituency to ensure her victory.
But, a keenly-watched election is taking place in neighbouring Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. Anurag Thakur, son of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is seeking re-election on the BJP ticket.
He is facing Kargil hero Vikram Batra's mother Kamal Kant, who is contesting on the AAP ticket. Addressing election meetings at Palampur, Mandi and Solan, Narendra Modi invoked Captai Batra's name several times. His use of Kargil martyr's oft-quoted phrase "Yeh dil maange more" has sparked a controversy with Batra's parents raising objections.
The BJP defended Modi saying the martyr's quote was not the family's property, but the Congress has attacked the BJP for insulting the war hero. Modi, at his first election rally in Palampur in Kangra district, the hometown of Captain Batra, said: "When we take the name of Maj. Somnath Sharma (the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, awarded posthumously for his bravery in the November 1947 Kashmir operations) and Vikram Batra, we feel proud. Our mind says - 'yeh dil maange more'. He used the phrase several times during his rallies in Himachal Pradesh to stir up the sentiments of the people of the hill state, where a large chunk of population comprises serving as well as retired servicemen. Using the slogan, Modi urged the people to ensure that BJP gets 300 seats. "I ask you to make the lotus win with 300 seats because 'Yeh dil maange more' just like Vikram Batra, who gave his life for the country in the Kargil war," Modi said in Mandi later, donning a traditional Himachali cap.
Batra was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his bravery in the Krgil war. He used 'yeh dil maange more' as a battle slogan, which became widely popular.
Modi's use of the slogan was disapproved of by the martyr's family, who said their son's sacrifice should not be politicised. Batra's father G.L. Batra, whose wife Kamal Kant is in the fray for the first time as an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Hamirpur seat, took strong offence to the use of "Yeh dil maange more" slogan for soliciting votes. "The BJP is just trying to take credit in politics at this point in time by politically using the slogan of a martyr," Batra told IANS over phone from Palampur. Challenging Modi, he said: "If he is so indebted to the martyrs, he must withdraw his party's candidate against my wife." An emotional Kamal Kant, who is contesting against BJP's Anurag Thakur, said she was never approached by the BJP for the election. "Modi was in charge of the BJP in Himachal during the Kargil war. He was in Palampur when Vikram died. Why didn't he visit us or any martyr's family then? Why remember us after 15 years," she said.
"The AAP has honoured us by fielding me. We have never referred to Vikram's name or slogan in the election campaign, then who is the BJP to do it? It has never thought about the martyr earlier," she asks during her campaign.
The state capital Shimla, the 'Queen of Hill stations' is filled with an anxious air as Lok Sabha voting day approaches with the Congress and the BJP locked in a tough fight here. The Sitting MP Virender Kashyap of the BJP riding on the 'Modi wave'. The Congress has fielded Mohan Lal Brakta, Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Subhash Chander and the BSP has fielded Gautam Singh Koli.
"Modi wave is there, as was evident in all the three rallies he addressed in Himachal Pradesh. People came from all over the state. He has special affection for the state as he was the state party in-charge for eight years and he knows workers personally," Kashyap told PTI.
The 63-year old Kashyap, 2009 won Shimla reserved for the SCs by a margin of about 27,000 votes. On the other hand, The Congress is trying to regain its traditional stronghold, which it ceded to the rival in 2009. Congress candidate Mohan Lal Brakta, a sitting MLA from Rohru and a loyalist of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
"There is no Modi wave here. And if at all there is any influence of Modi, it is only limited to Gujarat and even of that I am not sure. There is Raja Virbhadra Singh, Sonia-Rahul Gandhi and Congress-wave here. So we are confident of winning the seat by a big margin," Brakta told Hindustan Times newspaper.
Former chief minister and BJP veteran Shanta Kumar is contesting from Kangra Lok Sabha seat. He is seeking votes telling the voters that it is his last election.
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