Voter resentment, major local issues: A look at Himachal's Chamba constituency ahead of polls

Chamba is plagued by local issues, including serious infrastructural problems

The battle for the Chamba constituency in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh is set to be an interesting one, not least because of internal divisions within the BJP.

An erstwhile princely state, Chamba is home to breathtaking natural beauty, heritage buildings and temples going back hundreds of years, and handicraft shops that are renowned for chappals, embroidered handkerchiefs, and Himachali topis, all of which combined grants the place tremendous potential for tourism.

Yet, Chamba remains underdeveloped as a tourist destination in comparison to others in the state, like Kasauli or Shimla.

Lack of development

While the lack of development in Chamba is historical rather than the work (or lack of it) of a single government, it is likely to affect this year's polls, if ground reports are to be believed.

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This fact has not been lost on the BJP, with the saffron party's Anurag Thakur, a native of Himachal, promising to elevate Chamba to a "heritage town for international tourists" if the BJP is voted to power.

PM Narendra Modi, too, acknowledged Chamba as a land of "faith and heritage" in his October speech in the run-up to the polls, but residents seem far from convinced about the BJP's ability to bring about meaningful development in the constituency.

Himachal, which has historically voted for the BJP and the Congress in alternate elections, voted the saffron party into power in 2017.

BJP faces rebellion

After five years in power, however, the BJP is facing open rebellion in Chamba from Indira Kapoor, who, after being dropped from the list of candidates by the BJP, is contesting the polls as an independent candidate.

While the BJP has fielded Neelam Nayyar, the wife of incumbent MLA Pawan Nayyar, the saffron party is up against the likes of Congress' Neeraj Nayar, and, of course, the rebel Kapoor.

In 2017, the BJP's Pawan Nayyar had defeated the Congress' Neeraj Nayar by a meagre margin of 1,879 votes, something that hints at this year's polls for the constituency seat being an even tighter contest, especially with three candidates in the fray.

Local issues at the heart of resentment

Residents of the Chamba constituency have voiced resentment over the state government's inability to solve their woes even if they do support the PM Modi-led government at the Centre.

Among issues plaguing Chamba apart from the lack of development of the tourism industry, are infrastructural problems such as lack of proper road and cell phone connectivity, the absence of doctors and teachers in healthcare centres and schools and the high cost of electricity.

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"...Even if I want him [Modi] to be the country’s PM and run the government at the Centre, I want someone to solve local issues. I voted for the BJP last time, but is there any explanation for why we still don’t have roads or a fully-functional hospital here? Patients are referred to Tanda, nearly 160 km away. Many die on the way. There are no teachers in schools, and with a poor network, you can’t even talk on the phone. Modi at the Centre doesn’t mean the BJP in the state too," one resident told The Indian Express.

"Chamba is where electricity is produced. Yet, we’re paying heavy power bills. Local youths don’t want to live here any more, as there is no work... Modi as PM is fine, but… Himachal never votes in the same government twice," another resident told the publication.

Himachal goes to the polls on November 12, the counting of votes will take place on December 8.