1/7/2018 ‘Road to Shimla goes through Kangra’: Regional divide prevails over caste in HP | india-news | Hindustan Times

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‘Road to Shimla goes through Kangra’: Regional divide prevails

over caste in HP
The hill state is divided into upper and lower Himachal. Electorates in old Himachal and newly merged parts of the state differ in their political and
economic development, and social mobilisation.

INDIA (HTTP://WWW.HINDUSTANTIMES.COM/INDIA-NEWS/) Updated: Oct 14, 2017 23:37 IST

Gaurav Bisht and Naresh K Thakur

Hindustan Times, Shimla/Dharamshala

A shopkeeper showing traditional Himachali caps in a shop at Lower Bazaar, in Shimla.(HT File Photo)

In Himachal Pradesh’s electoral politics, the regional divide is more dominant a factor than caste.

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1/7/2018 ‘Road to Shimla goes through Kangra’: Regional divide prevails over caste in HP | india-news | Hindustan Times

The state is divided into upper and lower Himachal. While the former comprises Shimla, Sirmaur, parts of Mandi, Kullu,
Lahaul and Spiti, Solan, Kinnaur and Chamba districts, the latter is made up of Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una and the
lower region of Mandi district.

Before the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966, Himachal Pradesh comprised four districts of Shimla, formerly Mahasu,
Sirmaur, Chamba and Mandi. Kangra was then a district in Punjab.

After the merger, the divide in Himachal was evident. Parts of old Himachal and the newly merged areas differ in their
political and economic development, and social mobilisation.

Political leanings
McAfee WebAdvisor We tested this page and blocked content that comes from potentially dangerous or suspicious sites. Allow this
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Old Himachal has traditionally been a Congress
content only if you’re sure itbastion. Three
comes from safe sites. of the five chief ministers so far — Yashwant Singh Parmar,
Thakur Ram Lal and Virbhadra Singh — belong to this area.

It was only in 1998 when Prem Kumar Dhumal-led BJP-Himachal Vikas Congress coalition came to power that the saffron
party found support in the belt. In 1996, BJP tasted defeat because of using force to quell an apple farmers’ agitation. Three
farmers were killed in police firing in Kotgarh and the BJP lost power.

Why Kangra counts

Kangra gave Himachal its first non-Congress chief minister when the Janata Party formed the government under the
leadership of Shanta Kumar in 1977. The BJP has come a long way since it set up its first unit in Kangra. Dhumal, who served
as the BJP government’s CM from 1998-2003 and 2007-12, also comes from lower Himachal’s Hamirpur.

It is a popular saying in Himachal politics that the road to Shimla goes through Kangra. Population-wise, it is the largest
district and sends 15 legislators to the House. With one-fourth of the total House strength, the party that wins Kangra, forms
the government.

Divide bid backfires

To break Kangra’s monopoly, the BJP proposed to divide Kangra
into three districts but the decision backfired and anguish among
locals was seen in 2003 when the Congress won 10 seats .

In 2012, the BJP again raked up Kangra’s division into smaller

districts but faced opposition.

Kangra’s decision will only be clear on December 18, the day that
counts.

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