Shimla, Apr 13(Respresentative) The left front and CPI(M) always remained the king makers in the civic, state and national elections forcing big political outfits to tread with caution and not undermine its limited strength in the Shimla Muncipal Corporation Election. Party produced number of leaders who may have little political significance but hold sway over certain sections of the people and have unparalleled organization skills. In the wake of Shimla Mincipal Corporation polls, Poltical Pandits are predicting that although all small and big elections are interesting but ongoing SMC poll holds special significance owing to CPM’s presence here as the outfit has launched a number of successful mass movements from Shimla. They say that CPM possing challenges for both the main political parties of the state as the margin of victory depends on the intensity of slogan ‘Lal Salaam’ and party campaign which is always shriller and astounding to them. Yes third most serious Election outfits in the SMC poll is CPI(M), Poltical Pandits state that nursery of CPI(M) is enriching both main parties as including MLAs and counsellor are being elected from BJP and Congress. In this election to many of them belonges to SFI and AIDWA have great demand owing to its affiliations to various left frontal organizations including students, women, trade unions among others. Senior Journalist Mahinder Pratap Rana said this election is also interesting for the public and for the political parties due to neck to neck fight for all the 34 wards . It was fear of defeat to opposition BJP to defer SMC poll under the guise of delimitation as it being delayed by eight months that of its scheduled time in June 2022. “Now it has increased the heartbeat of both the parties as they are not sure of their victory and much rest on the entry of king maker CPM in the fray which considered significant force in Shimla city. ” Mr Rana said. CPM candidates may not be win but they have potential to disturb the equation to political candidate of either side as party organisation always remained with people of town i their hard time would play a significan role. Currently both the political parties busy in brainstorming session would have to sail through troubled waters before plunge in municipal elections.
BJP was being blamed by the ruling Congress to skip Shimla MC poll to not hold it in the scheduled time before Assembly Election now also facing factionalism, infighting and under cutting. Changing composition of number of wards and shuffling electrate BJP have increased number of Shimla MC wards from 34 to 41, however, Congress party after assuming power in the states denotified number of wards from 41 to 34 washing away the old lines of the wards against the interest of BJP. Cong. & CPM former counsellor have challenged the delimitation of Shimla MC in High court but as new govt denotifed creation of seven new wards also forced BJP to challenge it in Himachal Pradesh High court but didn’t get stay. Now before nomination, both BJP and Congress are deeply involved to meditate deeply to face emerging challenging to overcome defeat in the electrol battle. The top brass of poltical parties are also analysing equations of increases or decreases wards boundaries of Municipal Corporation to ensure their victory. Mr Ransla said even if there is a possibility of not winning of some wards both the parties are doing hardwork to control damge by putting consensus candidate close to both the factions. He said they could mends their strategy to win Election , but CPM always confuses confusing their math in almost every election. In the first election of Shimla Municipal Corporation in 1986, Congress supported counsellor won 9 seats in 21 wards, BJP 8 and Left Front 4, in which two CPM and two Lok Dal candidates won. Only one woman won in the house of these 21 members and according to the rules, if there is only one woman in the house, the government had the right to appoint another woman. The then Congress government appointed a woman with voting rights, increasing the number of Congress-backed members to 10. Mayor and Deputy Mayor were elected, two members of CPM boycotted the election and 2 members of Lok Dal supported BJP, the election of mayor was tied on 10-10 votes. The coin was tossed which fell in favor of Congress and Shimla Municipal Corporation got its first mayor after independence, Adarsh ??Sood.
The second election of the corporation was to be held in 1991 but the BJP government postponed it for one year. Even after this, the Shanta Kumar government was reluctant to hold elections, but people went to the court and the court gave instructions to conduct elections to the Shimla Municipal Corporation.Congress won the election. Why Shanta Kumar did not want the municipal elections to be held, it came to know when Adarsh ??Sood of the Congress became the mayor. Shanta had given Shimla Municipal Corporation’s valuable property “Karagnaino” of amusement park to BJP worker Piyush Goyal, who is currently a minister in the Government of India, at a throwaway price, which was later taken back by the Municipal Corporation by filing a case in the High Court. In 1997 elections, Congress won 23 out of 25 seats and BJP won two seats in the Municipal Corporation. Due to this historic victory of Congress, an attempt was made to create such a political atmosphere in the state that it could affect the 1998 assembly but it did not happen. In 2012, the then BJP government decided to conduct direct election of mayor and deputy mayor to win the municipal elections, in which CPM won, BJP once again failed to capture Shimla Municipal Corporation. In the 2017 elections, the Congress government included some new areas adjacent to the Municipal Corporation in the Municipal Corporation to win the Municipal Corporation and increased the number of wards, but the BJP broke an independent and a Congress member and made its mayor for the first time. In the municipal elections of 2022-23, first the BJP and now the Congress has created a game of dividing the wards and making their numbers and boundaries as per the convenience of their victory in order to win the elections. Now it remains to be seen whether the CPM is once again able to confuse the game of these two parties or not. CPM have made 55 members Election committee under the leadership of former Mayor Sanjay Chauhan. Rajiv Thakur who is two time CPI(M) counsellor from Summerhill hill bastion of left front was the one of party stronghold as Mr Thakur is in the fray for his fourth tenure. Interestingly Opposition BJP have given tickets to Former CPI(M) counsellor Shelly Thakur who joined BJP last year. Mr Rajiv Thakur who also popular as Tinu is locked in triangular battle this time. Sangti, Krishnanagar, Totu and Ruldubhata are other wards where party decided to put the candidates.