A DELUGE OF DOUBTS

Flood relief offers political relief for the Himachal CM and his beleaguered party, but its soil is eroding

- Anilesh S. Mahajan

THE FLASH FLOODS ravaging Himachal Pradesh have had a curious corollary. They created an overall optics of solidarity for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu regime, which is not an especially solid monolith in the best of times. Handling a major crisis, the CM earned attention with his proactive presence: coordinating relief, seeking central aid, reassuring tourists. He has good reason to try and capture the space from above. Local body elections are slated for later this year, and the ruling Congress has no feet on the ground—literally. Figuratively, it has two left feet. The unresolved power tussle between Sukhu loyalists and the camp led by state party chief Pratibha Singh keeps it in a state of full motor paralysis.