THE APPLES TURNED bitter for the BJP. The state-India's second-largest apple producer after Jammu and Kashmir-had seen several protests against the hike in GST rates and low prices of the fruit. Expectedly, the apple belt went back to the Congress, which it had traditionally voted for.
There were also other issues-the Old Pension Scheme, Agniveer, unemployment and rising prices which combined to fell the BJP.
Himachal is an outlier in 2022, elections wise. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and now Gujarat, all voted for the BJP and its double-engine government. Also, Himachal is now the third state, after Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh, with a majority Congress government.
Though Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur won Seraj for the sixth time, he could not win the state for his party. Sources close to him claimed that the BJP put up a fight only because of him; it could have been worse. The BJP's best performance was in Thakur's Mandi district, where it retained most seats.
For the Congress, the gains came from the apple belt of Shimla, and Kangra district, which has the most seats and borders Punjab. The backlash to the Agniveer scheme was felt here.
Unlike in Gujarat, the Congress had been campaigning hard in the hill state. It was buoyed by the win in the byelections to three assembly and one Lok Sabha seat last November.
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