Controversial video, poster war, incumbency wave: Fatehpur emerges as hotspot in Himachal polls

A poster war, a controversial video clip and the BJP 'infighting' have made Fatehpur constituency on the northwest border of Kangra district a hot seat in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

Fatehpur, known for its Pong Dam wetlands where migratory birds from Siberia and northern China arrive, has become the political hotspot ever since the BJP roped in its three-time Nurpur MLA Rakesh Pathania.

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The saffron party has nominated Pathania, the state youth services and sports minister, to contest from the seat, much to the dismay of former Rajya Sabha MP Kripal Parmar.

Pathania holds sway in at least 15 panchayat areas which were part of his Nurpur constituency before the delimitation ahead of 2012 polls.

Parmar, who was a frontrunner for the party ticket, has been expelled from the party along with four other rebels for six years for contesting as an independent candidate.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been losing the seat since 2003, except for 2007 when Rajan Sushant won the seat on the party ticket. However, two years later, the BJP lost the seat to the Congress in the bypoll held due to the election of Sushant as Lok Sabha MP from the Kangra seat in the 2009 general elections.

The constituency yet again hit the limelight over a poster war between Pathania and Parmar.

A controversy also broke out after the Congress recently released a video clip on Twitter, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi voice's was heard in a call with Parmar where the former was “pressuring” and “emotionally blackmailing” the BJP leader not to contest as an independent.

The Congress also alleged that Modi was “misusing his power” to influence free and fair elections in the state.

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While Parmar refused to address the matter, his close associate said the video clip is from October 30.

"I have been sidelined by the state BJP leadership even as I lost the 2017 election by a low margin of 1,284 votes. I was hopeful that I would be given the ticket in the 2021 by-elections, but the party again ignored me and nominated Baldev Thakur," Parmar said.

He said he was considering not fighting the polls after the party again denied him the ticket this time, but threw his hat in the poll ring due to Pathania's "undignified" ways.

Meanwhile, Pathania refuted all claims of infighting within the party unit. He said the BJP is putting a united face in the constituency. Local leaders like Baldev Thakur were seen canvassing for him during a roadshow in Rehan area.

"The work done by me in the panchayat areas that were part of my Nurpur constituency is my identity. People will choose development work," Pathania asserted.

"I have developed Nurpur as a sports city. On the other hand, there is not even a single playground in Fatehpur. I will provide the adequate sports infrastructure and facilities in Fatehpur," he said.

However, the fight this time is tough for the BJP in the Congress stronghold.

While government employees, a major vote bank in Himachal Pardesh, are upset over the new pension scheme, resentment is prevailing among the youth against unemployment and the Agniveer scheme.

Kushal, who is preparing for Army recruitment, says the new rules have made it tough for aspirants to get into the coveted services.

"We do not have major job opportunities here and youth prefer the armed forces for secure employment," he said, adding that the Agniveer scheme has made Army aspirants like him "very upset" and they will give their reply in the assembly polls.

Congress nominee and sitting MLA Bhawani Singh Pathania says he has a three-pronged approach to dealing with the issue of unemployment in the region.

"I will work on developing tourism in the Pong Dam wetland area, bring an industrial area and urban projects like sewerage facility in Rehan," he says.

As many as eight candidates, including four independents, are contesting from the seat.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded Rajan Sushant, a former MLA and BJP MP, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has given the ticket to 30-year-old Tilak Raj.

Kangra district, which sends 15 legislators to the 68-member assembly, has political clout and a party which performs better in the district usually forms the government in the state.

In the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP won 11 seats, Congress three and one by an independent candidate.

The saffron party is facing tough competition in most of the seats in the region from the opposition Congress, which is riding mainly on its promise to restore the old pension scheme.

Himachal Pradesh will go to the polls on November 12.