Unemployment, connectivity, OPS and more: Main issues in Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections are around the corner and campaigning by the contesting parties is in full swing in the poll-bound state.

The ruling BJP has been touting its development work in the state over the past five years to bat for re-election, while the Congress is banking on the state's history of anti-incumbency to cling to hopes of returning to power after a 5-year gap.

Although the AAP and the CPI(M) are also among the prominent parties in the race, both have limited presence in the hilly state, which has historically seen bipolar elections with the BJP and Congress alternately forming the government every five years.

Despite internal friction within both the BJP and the Congress, the stage, this time too, appears to be set for a bipolar election.

Also Read | Anti-incumbency in Himachal: A look at the alternating party trend in the hill state

With the polls mere days away, we take a look at the issues that are likely to take centre stage in this year's elections.

Unemployment

Unemployment, by all accounts, appears to be one of the main issues in this year's Assembly polls, with the Congress already having raised the issue.

Indeed, according to data by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the unemployment rate in Himachal stood at 9.2 per cent and 8.6 per cent in September and October 2022 respectively, as against the national average of 7.6 per cent.

A recent survey conducted jointly by the Himachal Pradesh University, the Government Degree College, Chayal Koti in Shimla, and the Himachal Pradesh National Law University, also found that unemployment was likely to be a central issue this time round.

The survey, which covered all 68 Assembly constituencies, found that Himachal has around 15 lakh unemployed persons, of whom 8.77 lakh have registered for jobs with employment exchanges across Himachal.

Also Read | 14-km walk, polling stations at 15K ft: Why voting in Himachal is a tough task

Among the 1,002 respondents in the survey, 39.1 per cent ranked unemployment as the main issue in the upcoming polls, while 35.2 per cent picked inflation, 10 per cent good governance, and 15.7 per cent picked other assorted issues.

Interestingly, 53.8 per cent of the respondents also said that they had witnessed no fundamental change to quality of life under BJP rule.

Apple farmers' protests

Himachal has witnessed several protests by farmers over the past few years, with biggest protests staged by apple producers.

Apples, for those unaware, are among the most produced goods in Himachal Pradesh, but the apple industry has been facing a crisis owing to rising input costs, erratic weather, increases in fuel costs, and the preferential treatment given to big agro industries by the government.

Further, the hike in GST from 12 to 18 per cent on cartons has left farmers at the mercy of big agro industries as small procurers of apples have left the picture.

Another issue being faced by apple producers is that of quality. Most of the big agro industries procure only high-quality apples that account for only 20-30 per cent of apple production in the state. Additionally, there is no minimum procurement rate fixed for apples in Himachal, like there is in Jammu and Kashmir. Consequently, 70 per cent of the produce in the state is neglected by corporations, which is then later sold at meagre rates.

Also Read | Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to campaign in Himachal Pradesh from Nov 8-9

In light of these issues, the state has seen agitations against the government led by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and the CPI(M)'s farmers' wing. Apple producers are expected to have a bearing on the outcome of this year's polls.

Infrastructure and mobility

Himachal, where large swathes of land fall under forest areas, is the only state which requires the Supreme Court's clearance for road construction.

The state also has poor road connectivity, especially in rural areas, and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur himself has admitted that only 10,899 of the state's 17,882 villages have a healthy network of roads. That leaves a whopping 39 per cent of villages without road connectivity in the hill state which relies primarily on roads for transportation of both goods and people.

With elections approaching, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already launched a scheme for the upgradation of 3,125 km of rural roads in the state. The PM's move, which some have criticised as an election gimmick, nevertheless underscores the need to improve connectivity in the state and the issue could have a bearing on the ouctome of the Assembly elections.

Old Pension Scheme (OPS)

When Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra kicked off her party's campaign rally in Himachal in October, she promised to restore the OPS for government employees if Congress was voted to power.

The AAP, too, has made a similar promise in Himachal, where the OPS was discontinued in 2004.

Also Read | BJP, Cong likely to tackle demand for OPS in Himachal Pradesh manifestos

Himachal continues to be a state where government jobs make up an important source of employment, a fact that makes it an important election issue.

"Opposition parties are keen on making this an important issue because the reversal will impact more than 1.75 lakh government employees and their families,” Ramesh K Chauhan, a professor in the department of political science at the Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla, told Moneycontrol, commenting on demands to restore the OPS.

Agnipath scheme

Himachal is known to be a state of army aspirants, and it was perhaps not surprising when large-scale protests broke out in the state in the aftermath of the announcement of the Agnipath scheme that made defence recruitment a contractual affair.

Youths in Himachal, in particular, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the scheme, and although the protests have since mellowed, the Agnipath scheme may become a flashpoint in the upcoming polls, especially given the unemployment situation in the state and the signifiance of fauji (soldier) votes.