Himachal Pradesh's 55 lakh electorate will vote to elect a new assembly on Saturday. Rebel candidates have hobbled the ruling BJP's target of becoming the first party since 1985 to return to power. On Friday, the eve of the polls, the BJP expelled Anu Thakur, a member of its state executive, for her "anti-party" activities. Before her, and after it announced its list of candidates in mid-October, the BJP expelled five state unit leaders, including vice president Kirpal Parmar, for working against the party's official candidates. At last count, BJP rebels are contesting against its official candidates in 21 of Himachal's 68-seats.
Opposition Congress, but to a significantly lesser degree, is also beset with reining in rebel candidates. However, its problem is more with at least half a dozen chief ministerial aspirants in its ranks, including Pratibha Singh, the widow of its stalwart former CM Virbhadra Singh.
On Wednesday, at his last public meeting in the hill state, PM Narendra Modi appealed to its voters to end the "rivaaz" (custom) of voting out governments every five years so that they continue to derive benefits of a "double engine government". He had also reached out to Parmar, requesting him to not contest against the party's official candidate. The BJP is hopeful of Modi's charisma overcoming the rebel challenge, beating anti-incumbency, including over issues such as price rise, lack of jobs, phasing out of the old pension scheme and distressed apple farmers.
CM Jairam Thakur is hopeful of returning to power on the back of his government's welfare schemes and the promise of implementing a uniform civil code. The counting of votes is on December 8, along with Gujarat, which has two-phased polls on December 1 and 5. Himachal scores much above other north Indian states on most human development indices.