Can Congress Cash In On Uttarakhand’s Anti-Incumbency Curse, Wrest Holy Dhams State From BJP?

Forty-six-year-old Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami is not an incumbent his political opponents would envy. The picturesque state, home to the most revered Hindu Dhams, also suffers an electoral curse. No party has won consecutive terms, with anti-incumbency always playing spoiler. Dhami has been CM for barely six months, though he piloted BJP to victory in 2017. Will 2022 rid the state of the anti-incumbency curse? Yes, says Hyderabad-based psephologist JVC Sreeram. Uttarakhand has 70 seats and the winner must pocket 36.  Congress leaders themselves acknowledge that Dhami has blunted the anti-incumbency factor for BJP.  Another stark reason is that Harish Rawat, a mass leader of the Congress, was treated shabbily by the Gandhis and; made to change his seat though daughter Anupama was already accommodated. He is not being actively promoted, unlike in the past when ND Tiwari held sway in the state. The entry of AAP, the spoiler, usurping the Bahujan Samaj Party’s popularity has cut into the windfall edge Congress had six months ago. The BJP denied tickets to 23 sitting MLAs and is not worried about a possible revolt factor. According to Sreeram, “If Uttarakhand is lost, and Punjab too, Congress will face an existential crisis.” That’s when the party will implode. Is the G-23 ready for the tailspin?