In crucial times, Kangra always ditched its bigwigs

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 17

Kangra district having 15 Assembly constituencies has always played a kingmaker in Himachal.

Since 1978, whichever party has got majority seats in Kangra formed government in the state. Except Shanta Kumar, none of the leaders from the district managed to make it to the post of Chief Minister.

The reason for leaders not being able to manage to the top post is that many times, the people of the region handed over humiliating defeat to their prominent leaders.

Shanta Kumar had to face the defeat from Sulah, his home constituency, in 1982 and 1993 at the hands of Mann Chand Rana, a Congress worker. His defeats in Assembly elections damaged his stature and forced the party to look for alternative.

Vijai Singh Mankotia was another prominent leader. He focused his politics on the alleged discrimination of the region or merged areas of Punjab by the Congress regime led by Virbhadra Singh. He had even released a Kangra cap to counter the green cap of Virbhadra Singh. However, Mankotia also faced defeat from Dharamsala and Shahpur that cut his political stature.

Mankotia had said the people of Kangra district could never unite, so there was no harm if the district was divided into smaller parts.

Now, GS Bali, former Congress minister, was emerging as a prominent leader who was challenging Virbhadra. In the last Assembly election campaign, he had projected himself the future CM candidate. However, he had to face defeat at the hands of his former protégé Arun Kumar by a slender margin. The defeat was a political setback to Bali.

A senior Congress leader said while the people of Shimla always stood by Virbhadra Singh, the people of lower areas betrayed their leaders at crucial times.

Hamirpur was also part of Kangra district at one time. The people of the region did not support CM face of the BJP Prem Kumar Dhumal in the Assembly elections. Prominent OBC leader from Kangra and former MP Chander Kumar also suffered a humiliating defeat in the parliamentary poll in 2014 and 2009 that dented his political career.