Himachal Pradesh election: From ‘Jumla’ to ‘Raja-Rani’, poll campaigns see severe war of words | Top speeches

Himachal Pradesh election 2022: The campaign for high-octane poll battle that witnessed typical war of words between politicians during election, concluded in the hilly state on Thursday. Congress, BJP and even AAP left no stone unturned to woo voters. Politicians have done their bit. Now, it’s over to electorates who will exercise their voting rights and decide the fate of candidates contesting in the assembly elections on November 12. 
From PM Modi to Priyanka Gandhi, all top politicians from BJP, Congress and AAP held rallies in Himachal. They also attacks their opponents during the rallies. 

Here are some highlights of word of wars seen during the poll campaigns-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi: PM Modi on November 9 addressed rallies in Kangra and Sujanpur. While addressing the rally, he decoded the the meaning of 'Congress'. PM Modi said "Congress is the guarantee of instability, corruption and scams. Congress can never give a stable government to HP and neither do they want, Congress has only two states left, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, no news of development comes from these two states," adding, "Today Himachal needs a stable and strong government. When Himachal Pradesh will have a strong government and double engine power, it will also overcome all the challenges and achieve new heights." 

Home Minister Amit Shah: Addressing an election rally on November 6 in Kangra district, BJP leader Amit Shah took a dig at the Congress party's "10 guarantees" that it promised in its manifesto for the state. He said that guarantees of only those are believed "who have some record."  Further, Shah also chastised the previous "Sonia-Manmohan" government at the Center, who claimed that corruption of Rs 12 lakh crore was committed by it, and the party is now providing "guarantees" to the residents of Himachal Pradesh. Amit Shah took 'many CM faces' jibe at Congress and asserted it's party of 'raja-ranis'

Priyanka Gandhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on October 10 at Sirmaur rally said that promising the return of the old pension scheme by her party was not an election "jumla" as she accused the BJP of questioning the financial viability of the move while waiving loans of big industrialists. Addressing a rally on the last day of campaigning for the assembly polls, she also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders for their remarks that the Congress cannot give a stable government and asserted that her party gave the most stable governments since the Independence. "Who created instability? Who made the governments fall by buying MLAs?" she asked. Priyanka Gandhi also took on the BJP on the issue of unemployment and asked why 63,000 vacant government posts had not been filled during its five-year tenure.

Ravishankar Prasad: Senior BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad, during a press conference on November 8 in Shimla accused Rahul Gandhi of staying away from the campaigning fearing a defeat and did not want to take responsibility.  “Where is Rahul Gandhi, where is he missing? He is on a (Bharat Jodo) Yatra, but why such indifference with Himachal. Congress' entire leadership, by that I mean effective leadership, why they have such indifference towards Himachal,” Prasad said. 

Anurag Thakur: Addressing a press conference in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur on November 4, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said “the Congress party could not get any huge projects, it has never promoted the interests of Himachal Pradesh. The BJP ensured all-round development in Himachal Pradesh, he added. The BJP believes in development, while the Congress works to mislead the public by lying." 

Mallikarjun Kharge: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on November 9 in Banuti trained his gun on the BJP and said it may have been able to befool people across the country with its "jumlas" but cannot do so in the hill state. "People here are educated, understand everything and take a considered decision (in voting)....The BJP may have been able to befool people all over the country with its jumlas (rhetoric) of Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts and jobs, but it cannot do so here," Kharge said.

Manish Sisodia: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia on November 5 appealed to the people of Himachal Pradesh to give his party a chance and make a "new-engine" government in the state this time. Referring to the "double-engine government" motif of the BJP's poll campaign, he alleged that it took Himachal Pradesh in the wrong direction and not towards good schools, good hospitals and jobs. 

(With PTI input)

Also Read: Himachal Pradesh Election 2022: Poll campaigning ends in hilly state, over to voters now