Anti-incumbency, low-key campaign? What worked for Congress in Himachal Pradesh

NEW DELHI: The Congress will heave a sigh of relief as it ends 2022 with a win in Himachal Pradesh under its belt. The grand old party has won 40 out of 68 seats in the state with a vote share of almost 44%.
For the party's new president Mallikarjun Kharge, it's a mixed electoral debut. The Himachal verdict comes as a face-saver for him amid humiliating losses in Gujarat and MCD elections.
The Congress has been decimated by the BJP in Gujarat and has also been trounced in the MCD elections.

The grand old party has suffered a spate of losses in recent years - losing elections after elections. So much so that it is now even being replaced as the main opposition party in several states.
Unlike its earlier campaigns, the Congress campaign in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh this time was muted and low-key.

Rahul Gandhi, who has led the party's campaigns in all election-bound states, stayed away completely from Himachal Pradesh and did not address even a single rally.
Ironically, the Congress has ended up winning Himachal thereby prompting some to ask the question: Does Rahul's campaigning help the Congress in elections?
In the absence of Rahul Gandhi, it was his sister Priyanka who led the Congress campaign in the state addressing several rallies. Senior party leaders complimented Priyanka for her "spirited campaign" and her "hard work."
However, Kharge has been quick to give credit to Rahul and spoke about the positive influence his Bharat Jodo Yatra had on the party's fortunes in Himachal.
While Kharge's claims on Rahul can be debated, what most likely helped the Congress was the strong anti-incumbency against the Jai Ram Thakur government in the state.
An indication to this was visible last year when the Congress won all the byelections in the state.

Also, the state has a history of alternating governments and after five years of BJP rule, the Congress was favourites to return to power.
Congress may also have benefitted from its promise on the old pension scheme, which is an emotive issue in the state.

Rahul, on his part, thanked the people of Himachal and said that all promises made by the party will be fulfilled.
"Heartfelt thanks to the people of Himachal Pradesh for this decisive victory. Hearty congratulations to all Congress workers and leaders. Your hard work and dedication are truly behind this victory," Rahul said in a tweet in Hindi.
"I assure you again, every promise made to the public will be fulfilled at the earliest," he added.