Himachal Pradesh Assembly election: With two many BJP leaders, Congress in close fight
With the BJP camp divided between two contenders, this time it could be a close battle with the Congress.
Early morning on December 20, 2012, the day the Himachal Pradesh assembly poll votes were counted, Prem Kumar Dhumal, then the incumbent BJP chief minister, called his 'good friend' Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar to wish him luck (counting was under way in Gujarat too), perhaps hoping for some of the 'Modi Magic' to rub off on him. But it wasn't to be. Three hours later, while Modi romped home to a fourth successive term in office, Dhumal prepared to felicitate his arch Congress rival, Virbhadra Singh.
As voters in the hill state prepare to elect its 13th Vidhan Sabha on November 9, the BJP is waiting its 'turn' in office. And it's not an unreasonable expectation, given the alternating Congress
So, for Dhumal, it's not quite going to be the smooth ride from Hamirpur (his home district) to Shimla that he accomplished twice earlier (in 1998 and 2007). And considering that he himself was the surprise wildcard choice that ousted Kumar in 1998, the former CM will have his hands full.
