Himachal Polls: Old Pension Scheme A Major Issue In Anti-Incumbency Versus Growth Battle

In every assembly election, the ruling party takes credit for “unprecedented” development, and the opposition harps on issues like corruption, non-performance, price rise, and unemployment. These issues have in recent years become an election ritual and do not make much impact on the voters.

 In the past “development” plank has not yielded dividends to the ruling party and it has invariably lost the electoral battle. The last time a ruling party managed to retain power was in 1985.the incumbent party has lost in every election since. Politically mature voters of the hill state make up their minds much before the election process starts and issues raised during electioneering do not make much difference.

This time the ruling BJP has made development its main plank and the opposition Congress is focussing on inflation, unemployment, and corruption. However, the government employees, who have been agitating for the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS), have provided a potent issue to Congress. Congress has promised to revive the OPS to secure the support of employees who play a significant role in elections. It has made the restoration of the OPS as its main election plank.

 The old pension scheme (OPS) was discontinued in 2004 and a new contributory pension scheme (NPS) was started to bring down the ever-increasing financial burden on the state exchequer. The employees have not been happy with the NPS and they have been demanding the restoration of the OPS and agitating for it. Till date around 1.17 lakh employees have been enrolled under the NPS.

Under pressure from employees, the Jairam Thakur government had set up a high-powered committee to examine the demand for the restoration of OPS. The employees were not pleased with the response of the government. The Congress grabbed the issue and in an all-out bid to cash in on the resentment among employees declared that, if it was voted to power, its government will restore OPS in the first Cabinet meeting.

The issue is giving sleepless nights to the BJP as employees are the most vocal campaigners and their votes can make a difference in the keen electoral battle that the state is witnessing. The party has tried to woo the female electorate by promising 33 percent reservation in government jobs to women. It has also promised to give three free cooking gas cylinders to poor women.

The BJP has also inducted its saffron agenda by promising Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the 11 commitments made in its “SankalpPatra''.  The party has tried to tackle the issue of unemployment by promising 8 lakh jobs. Other commitments include an investment of Rs 12000 crore to promote religious tourism and introduce 45 bus services to provide connectivity to main temples in the state from Delhi, Jaipur, Meerut, Mathura and major cities. It has also promised a Rs 900 crore startup fund, five medical colleges, Rs 5000 crore fund for construction of all-weather roads to all the villages and Rs 3000 per year to farmers by setting up a new fund in addition to Rs 6000 being provided under Prime Minister KisanSammanNidhi.

The Congress has also announced sops for various sections of the electorate in the ten guarantees included in its poll manifesto. Besides restoration of the OPS, it has promised a monthly compensation of Rs 1500 to women, 5 lakh jobs, 300 units of free electricity, a Rs 650 crore start up fund to encourage young entrepreneurs, free medical treatment in villages through mobile clinics, and purchase of cow dung cakes at Rs 2 per kg in the ten guarantees given in its election manifesto.

While both parties have announced sops to woo different sections of people, the Congress has focussed on employees and the BJP has tried to secure the support of women who comprise 50 percent of the electorate.

The BJP is claiming that the hill state has seen tremendous development over the past five years under its double-engine government. The party is taking credit for mega projects like the recently inaugurated AIIMS and hydropower engineering college at Bilaspur and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Una and various welfare schemes launched by the central and state government.

The Congress is mainly banking on anti-incumbency sentiment and highlighting price rise, unemployment and lacklustre governance under Jairam Thakur regime. It has not announced its chief ministerial candidate and Pratibha Singh, the State Congress Chief, has made it clear that the leader will be elected by the MLAs. The BJP is relying on the popularity of Prime Minister Modi and he has addressed several rallies and launched new projects in the run-up to the election.

Campaigning is at its peak with the polling day just a week away. With no dearth of men, election material, finances and other resources the BJP has launched a blitzkrieg of rallies, covering every nook and corner of the state. Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and National BJP chief J.P.Nadda, there is a long list of star campaigners, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari and Union Textile Minister SmritiIrani Minister, SmritiIrani. Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has been sparing no effort to woo the electorate.

 In stark contrast to the high-pitched BJP campaign, the canvassing of resource-starved Congress is a low-key affair. So far, Rahul Gandhi, who is preoccupied with Bharat Jodo Yatra, has not visited the state. Priyanka Gandhi has been the party’s only star campaigner. She has addressed a couple of rallies. It remains to be seen if Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi join the campaign in the final phase of electioneering.

The campaign of the AamAadmi Party, which entered the fray with the objective of raising a third political force in the state, is not much visible. The party is contesting 67 seats but it has failed to make its presence felt in the electoral arena and it largely remains a bipolar contest between traditional rivals, the BJP, and the Congress. Its most familiar face and the strongest candidate is former BJP minister Dr RajanSushant who is contesting from the Fatehpur seat. Whatever vote share the party manages to secure will mostly hurt Congress.

The CPM, which has one MLA in the outgoing Vidhan Sabha, is also contesting 11 seats. Sitting legislator Rakesh Singha is again contesting from Theogseat, a former deputy mayor TikenderPanwar has entered the fray from Shimla seat and another senior leader KuldipTanwar is trying his luck from Kusumpati seat.

About the author: Rakesh Lohumi is a political analyst and is associated with People's Pulse research organisation, Hyderabad. He can be reached at peoplespulse.hyd@gmail.com

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