A long wait

Ayurveda Minister Karan Singh couldn’t help but express his happiness when he rose in the Assembly for the first time to reply to a query about his department, since he has been inducted into the Cabinet. “Before I give information sought by the honourable member (MLA), I would like to tell all that it is after 15 years that I have got this opportunity to take up queries as a minister,” he said. Sporting a colourful Nepali cap and a muffler, Karan Singh, the scion of the erstwhile Kullu royal family, has had to wait for quite some time to get a ministerial berth despite Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh keen to have him in his Cabinet. Karan, who has remained the Minister of State for Education in the BJP regime, has strained relations with his elder brother Maheshwar Singh, MLA from Kullu. Incidentally, the two brothers are on the opposite sides of the political spectrum with Karan being in the Congress and Maheshwar joining the BJP after he merged his party Himachal Lokhit Party with the BJP.

Leadership issue haunts many in HP

BJP workers are euphoric after the historic victory in the Assembly elections in four states and celebrated “Ullas Divas”, but senior party leaders are more apprehensive than ecstatic. The results have proved that the party can win the elections without projecting a face and ageing, ailing leaders are not indispensable and can take the risk of introducing younger leaders. The elections are due in Himachal in November this year and murmurs in the party cadres are getting louder regarding the fate of senior leaders. The strategy of BJP chief Amit Shah to change the old faces to beat anti-incumbency has worked and this factor is haunting many senior leaders.

Media-savvy legislators

With the poll slated to take place by year-end, politicians are sparing no effort to play to the gallery. Apart from making a hue and cry over issues raised in the ongoing Vidhan Sabha session, they were duly informing the press about their daily round of questions raised and replies received. One wondered how such political gimmicks would brighten their poll prospects when the basic issues of dilapidated roads, ailing water schemes and adequate staff in health and educational institutes had failed to find any solution on the ground despite repeated rounds of questions and answers in the successive sessions.

Changing political alignments start unfolding

Political realignments in the state have started unfolding with Independent legislator from Chopal Balbir Verma taking the lead. After holding parleys with BJP leaders, he will formally announce his association with the saffron party at a function in Chopal on March 26. Ironically, Verma whose association with the Congress as an associate member, has been challenged by the BJP before the Vidhan Sabha Speaker has chosen to side with the BJP. With the possibility of Subhash Manglet, former MLA from Chopal, being denied the party ticket being bleak, Verma chose to try his luck with the BJP. Being a low profile and humble leader, who firmly believes in philanthropic works, he is sure to give a run for his money to any candidate, from whichever party.

Contributed by Pratibha Chauhan and Ambika Sharma