THE APPLES TURNED bitter for the BJP. The state-India's second-largest apple producer after Jammu and Kashmir-had seen several protests against the hike in GST rates and low prices of the fruit. Expectedly, the apple belt went back to the Congress, which it had traditionally voted for.
There were also other issues-the Old Pension Scheme, Agniveer, unemployment and rising prices which combined to fell the BJP.
Himachal is an outlier in 2022, elections wise. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and now Gujarat, all voted for the BJP and its double-engine government. Also, Himachal is now the third state, after Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh, with a majority Congress government.
Though Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur won Seraj for the sixth time, he could not win the state for his party. Sources close to him claimed that the BJP put up a fight only because of him; it could have been worse. The BJP's best performance was in Thakur's Mandi district, where it retained most seats.
For the Congress, the gains came from the apple belt of Shimla, and Kangra district, which has the most seats and borders Punjab. The backlash to the Agniveer scheme was felt here.
Unlike in Gujarat, the Congress had been campaigning hard in the hill state. It was buoyed by the win in the byelections to three assembly and one Lok Sabha seat last November.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 18, 2022 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 18, 2022 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
There Is A Wind Blowing Against The BJP, And It Will Only Pick Up Speed
Interview - Akhilesh Yadav, Former Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical
