Himachal will join UP, Uttarakhand in re-electing BJP to power: Nadda

Shimla: BJP president J P Nadda has claimed Himachal Pradesh will join Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in re-electing his party, and dismissed AAP's challenge in the hill state and Gujarat, saying it has a history of making a lot of noise during polls but ends up losing even deposit in most seats.

Nadda suggested that the Congress remains the main rival in both states and claimed the BJP will retain power with a comfortable win in the two assembly polls.

Citing people's "affection and trust" for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as one main factor for his confidence, the BJP president told PTI that his work first as chief minister ensured that the party kept winning polls in Gujarat and he replaced the anti-incumbency factor with pro-incumbency sentiment in elections after leading it to power at the Centre in 2014.

He noted that the BJP retained power at the Centre in 2019 under Modi and then ducked anti-incumbency in numerous assembly polls, including in Assam, Goa and Manipur, besides UP and Uttarakhand.

"We are winning both states comfortably," he said.

While the assembly polls in Himachal, Nadda's home state, will be held in a single phase on November 12, the election for Gujarat is scheduled for December 1 and 5. The counting of votes in both states will take place on December 8.

While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party is running a high-decibel campaign, especially in Gujarat, Nadda made light of its challenge and noted that the regional party has often made big claims during elections but failed to make much impact.

"This party comes and makes a lot of noise. You saw that in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Uttarakhand too. What happened? They even lost deposits in most of the seats," he said.

It is mandatory for every candidate contesting a Parliamentary or Assembly election to deposit a certain security amount, which is forfeited if the candidate fails to get one-sixth of the votes polled. The aim is to ensure that only serious candidates file nominations.

Nadda released on Sunday the BJP's manifesto for Himachal Pradesh, promising Uniform Civil Code (UCC), 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and educational institutions, and sops for different segments.

With the Congress manifesto also weighing heavily on sops for various groups, especially women, the BJP leader rejected any comparison between the two, saying the opposition party makes big promises without any intention to fulfil them.

He accused the Congress of not fulfilling what it had promised to voters in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in 2018. The Congress is in power in the two states.

Nadda said, "Empowering women is empowering the family. It has been our commitment to empower them." He added that the BJP's manifesto has also focussed on segments like farmers and youths.