The state leadership was central to the Congress' win but Priyanka Gandhi & Bhupesh Baghel also played a key role.
It would be unfair to reduce Congress' victory in Himachal Pradesh to the state's 'Rivaj' or tradition of voting out the incumbent. If 'Rivaj' could guarantee victory then the Congress would have been in power in Uttarakhand and Kerala presently. Remember, Himachal Pradesh is a state where BJP had the highest vote share in the Lok Sabha elections - around 69 percent. So its defeat was not a foregone conclusion.
By most accounts, the Congress campaign in Himachal Pradesh was well managed, especially by Congress standards. The state leadership buried their differences and led a united and focused campaign.
In November, TKG had reported on how by focussing on local issues and livelihood, the Himachal Pradesh Congress was leading a very effective campaign that had the potential to defeat the BJP.
This piece would focus on a different aspect of the campaign - the key role played by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The duo faced a lot of flak following the debacle in the Uttar Pradesh elections earlier this year. The Himachal Pradesh win would no doubt come as a relief for them.
