Presently in the 68 member Himachal Pradesh (HP) Assembly, Congress has 36 MLAs and BJP has 26 MLAs. The assembly election is scheduled on 9th Nov’17 and the result will be declared on 18th Dec’17.

Present Chief Minister of Congress Government in HP is a Rajput. Present HP Congress party Chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is a Rajput.

The state has seen 13 government since 1952, except during 1956-63 period as Union Territory. During 59 years of state government rule, Congress was in power at the state during approx 75% of the time i.e. 43 years period. Congress gave three Chief Minister during this long period Yashwant Singh Parmar, Thakur Ram Lal and Virbhadra Singh. Present CM Virbhadra Singh has served for 6 terms for about 22 years.

Scheduled Caste constitutes about 26% population and ST constitute 6% population. Disproportionate share of 37% BPL family belongs to SC community. Both the communities SC & ST combined together has 20 reserved seat in the assembly. The present Congress Government has only one SC minister. The Congress led cabinet ministry is dominated by Congress tradition power holders i.e. Brahmin and Rajput caste.

During 2012 elections Congress candidate list included 25 Rajputs, 13 Brahmins. This time also Congress has put up majority Rajput and Brahmin candidate list with Rajput as CM nominee. Congress party which has remained biggest receiver of Dalit and backward votes for a long time till 1990s is again expecting their votes, but Congress party is unwilling to give them due share in the power.

BJP, known to be dominated by upper caste, too is fielding at least 28 Rajputs and 9 Brahmins in the polls.

Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and OBC constituting more than 50% population in the state and across the nation, can expect a very raw deal by voting for Congress or BJP in the next assembly election.

Author – S Kumar

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