Himachal Pradesh Not ‘Punj-aap’: Are Hills Of Himachal Too High For Arvind Kejriwal's Party?

The big win in the Punjab assembly polls this year has ignited the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) hopes to encash political dividends in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, which is slated to go to polls on November 12. But, the party’s dreams to scale the mountains and emerge as a stable alternative to incumbent BJP and Congress—seem to have crashed much before its campaign.

“I don’t think the party has much interest in Himachal Pradesh. Right now the focus is definitely on Gujarat—Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home," Gaurav Sharma, AAP's former chief spokesperson in Shimla, who has quit the party leveling allegations of "cheating" in the "devbhoomi" of Himachal Pradesh.

Sharma says "They (AAP leaders) have sold tickets, collected a lot of money, and gone back to Delhi. They have desecrated the 'Devbhoomi'. Most of these people who were camping in the state are not even taking our calls now."   

While the party has released its list of candidates for the upcoming polls, insiders admit that the initial momentum AAP had built by holding three big rallies and a road show in Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra, has been lost.

The multiples hoardings and posters of party chief Arvind Kejriwal put up by the AAP during his visits in June-July 2022 have also gone missing from most places and the slogans of 'Abki baar Kejriwal' have all but faded.

With the electoral contest in Himachal Pradesh narrowing down to BJP and its rival congress – two traditional political players alternating in power every five years in Himachal - AAP leaders are putting all their efforts and resources into Gujarat.

In his rallies, Kejriwal used to tell people "You have given 30 years to Congress and 17 years to BJP to rule the state, all they did was loot. Just give me five years"

But neither Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal nor his deputy CM Manish Sisodia has visited the state in quite some time. Most of the prominent party leaders, who had got enrolled in the AAP have either returned back to their original parties or have decided to stay away from party activities.

ID Bhandari, a retired Director General of Police (DGP), who was one of the prominent faces inducted in the AAP, says he has hardly any interest left to be a part of the political juggernaut.

“I am happy being in my village, reading and relaxing. I had told them beforehand that I am not keen to contest the poll or lobby for positions” be told Outlook over the phone from Bilaspur village.

AAP's failure to make an impact in the hill state is being attributed to a series of setbacks that the party suffered in the initial phase of the campaign. First, its state president Anoop Kesari resigned from the party and joined the BJP at the behest of union minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur, along with senior leaders general secretary Satish Thakur and Una AAP chief Iqbal Singh.

The arrest of Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain by the CBI just at the time when he was organising the party set-up in the state served as the second blow to the party. Thereafter, investigations into the alleged liquor scam and ED cases also jolted the AAP and dented its image in the hill state.

One of the few initial AAP leaders in the state, Subhash Chander, a retired engineer, claims that Jain’s presence in the state had sent some shivers to the BJP, and also the Congress. The manner in which he started penetrations had made many nervous. His implication in the corruption case was a huge jolt to the AAP's 'clean' image and poll campaign.

Durgesh Pathak, a close aide of Kejriwal, was also sent to Himachal Pradesh for a brief period. He, however, returned to Delhi after being elected in the Delhi Assembly before he could make any substantial contributions to the party organisation in Himachal.  Recently, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains was made in charge of the party's elections in the state.

Moreover, other controversies like the appearance of ‘Khalistani’ posters on the gates of the state assembly complex in Dharamshala and Khalistani flags at DC office Una, clubbed with similar incidents in Punjab, caused a scare among a lot of AAP workers in the state as the rise in Khalistani activities was linked to the new government in Punjab by members of rival parties.

“Additionally, what a lot of newly enrolled workers and volunteers in Himachal Pradesh did not like was the dominance of the AAP offices by Delhi. These persons handpicked from Delhi used to ill-treat, snub, and dictate to us. They never used to consult and trust us on major decisions” rues a local leader on promise of anonymity.

Kejriwal's ‘topi’ (cap) has come to symbolise Delhi's dominance over the volunteers in Himachal Pradesh, who feel pride in wearing their own Kullu caps or Bhusheri topi. Eventually, Kejriwal had to adapt to this to strike a chord with their supporters.

Harjot Singh Bains, when contacted over phone, said the AAP remains a serious player and has already announced its candidates for all 68 seats.

“Our leaders including Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, and all cabinet ministers and MLAs will be arriving in Himachal Pradesh soon for the campaign,” he said.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur says "AAP has no stakes in Himachal Pradesh. They tried to create hype but the net result is zero. I had said on Day One that APP is welcome to Himachal Pradesh but will find these mountains too high and tough to climb. They will turn breathless even at our foothills".