A small town in Himachal rises to prominence

Less than a two-hour drive from capital Shimla, one would have normally overlooked Arki, a small town nestled in the picturesque lower ranges of the Himalayas in Solan district.

But this time around, the town, famed for its yesteryear fort, has assumed political relevance.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has handpicked the constituency to contest the November 9 Assembly poll. Arki is neither a Congress stronghold nor the chief minister’s traditional seat.
The octogenarian opted for this seat after vacating his stronghold Shimla (Rural) for his political heir apparent and son Vikramaditya Singh.

After all, it is his son’s electoral debut and the aged father was willing to do anything for “son rise”, even forcing his party high command to ignore the one family, one ticket norm.

The Congress has not won this seat in a decade. But Virbhadra’s entry offers the Congress renewed vigour. The ruling party sees itself within striking distance of victory.

Vehicles with Congress flags zooming past small lanes are increasingly becoming prominent in the area. A drive through the small town’s meandering streets and markets provides a glimpse of the Congress’ plans to make it a tough contest for the BJP.

Two back-to-back rallies in Solan district on Wednesday by the chief minister were a warm-up before he goes the whole hog closer to the elections. “I wanted to contest from a seat that the Congress has not won for a long while,” Virbhadra said.

Despite the saffron party’s decade-long ‘invincible’ track record from Arki, the BJP here arguably finds itself in a huddle. Strangely, the BJP has denied a ticket to its two-time MLA Gobind Ram Sharma.

Instead, a first-timer, Rattan Singh Pal, who has not contested a single significant election in the past, has been pitted against the Congress’ warhorse.

The Congress may win or lose in the joust for power, but people of this town see Virbhadra as the man who can address their problems.

“Whether he becomes the chief minister or not, Raja Sahib (Virbhadra Singh) will work to make this place better,” said Het Ram, a shopkeeper.

Denials apart, development still eludes Arki.
DH News Service