Rival parties coining biting slogans to get upper hand in Himachal elections

High-pitched slogans raised political temperatures in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh. Over the demand to restore Old Pension Scheme, CM Jairam Thakur was targeted with the 'Joiya mama manada naye, employee ri shunada naye' in typical Sirmauri dialect translating to 'Jairam uncle does not obey and does not listen to the employees'.

Shimla: High-pitched slogans raised political temperatures in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh bringing back memories of how rival politicians engaged in electoral slugfests over the decades in democratic India to get an edge over each other. Slogans and especially election slogans often make headlines in Indian politics.

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been in the forefront of coining power packed slogans. The slogan that is on every employee's lips in the State is 'Joiya mama manada naye, employee ri shunada naye' which is aimed at targetting current Chief Minister Jairam Thakur. It is in typical Sirmauri dialect translating to 'Jairam uncle does not obey and does not listen to the employees'. Prior to polls, Himachal saw a movement demanding the restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) that was discontinued in the year 2004.

Late CM Virbhadra Singh who belonged to the royal family was attacked by his rivals with the slogan 'Raja nahi fakir hai, Himachal ki taqdeer hai'. With the change of power in Himachal in the year 2017, Jairam Thakur has been the face of the state BJP with the party projecting him as the CM face again through the slogan 'Once Jairam Ji, Baar Baar Jairam Ji'. The BJP is also using the slogan 'Naya rivaaj banayenge, phir Bhhajpa layenge (Will defy anti-incumbency by bringing back BJP to power).

When Amit Shah came to Himachal to hold public meetings, he targeted the Congress accusing the party of dynastic politics. According to Amit Shah, “from Delhi to Himachal, the Congress is dominated by families” while referring to Sonia-Rahul and Pratibha Singh and Virbhadra Singh.

Soon after Indian independence, the slogan 'Khara Rupayya Chandi Ka, Raj Mahatma Gandhi Ka' was much popular among the Congress supporters. Earlier the election symbol of Congress was a pair of bullocks while that of the Jan Sangh was an earthen lamp. Jan Sangh used to target the Congress with the slogan 'Dekho Deepak ka khel, jali jhopdi, bhaga bel'.

The Congress retorted with the slogan 'is deepak mein tel nahin, sarakaar banaana khel nahin'. Indira Gandhi's tenure in Indian politics has been very eventful during which many slogans became very popular. The Jana Sangh used to target her with the slogan 'janasangh ko vot do, beedee peena chhod do' and 'beedee mein tambaakoo hai, kaangres paartee daakoo hai'.

The Congress had popularized the slogan 'India is Indira and Indira is India'. Many slogans were used during the emergency period. The most popular slogan of the Congress was- 'Congress Lao, Garibi Hatao'. This slogan continued in every election while the opposition hit abck with the slogan 'Indira hatao, desh bachao'.

During the Emergency, a big creative slogan was raised, which was like- 'Zameen Gaye Chakbandi Mein, Mard Gaye Nasbandee Mein' referring to the sterlization campaign launched by the Congress in a bid to control population growth. The Congress found itself cornered from all sides on the issue of sterilization.

Slogans 'Nasbandee ke teen dalal, Indira, Sanjay aur Bansilal' and 'sanjay kee mammee badee nikammee, beta kaar banaata hai, maan bekaar banaatee hai' also put the Congress on the back foot. Sanjay Gandhi was the son of former PM Indira Gandhi and Bansilal was a veteran Congress leader and Haryana Chief Minister.

These slogans charged the atmosphere against the Congress and Indira Gandhi had to lose power. When Indira visited Chikmagalur in Karnataka to contest elections, Congress gave the slogan- 'Ek sherni sau langur, Chikmagalur Bhai Chikmagalur'. Renowned Hindi writer Shrikant Verma had a huge influence in the Congress party and coined the slogan 'jaat par na paat par, indira jee kee baat par, muhar lagegee haath par'.

On the other hand, talking about the slogans of BJP, 'atal, aadavaanee kamal nishaan, maang raha hai hindostaan ' was the most talked about. Similarly, the slogans of left parties have also been very much discussed. In the eighties, the slogans 'chalega majadoor udegee dhool, na bachega haath, na rahega phool' and 'laal kile par laal nishaan, maang raha hindustaan' were much popular.

After the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, all the slogans of the opposition turned silent with the wave of sympathy working in favor of the Congress. The party further intensified the wave with the slogan 'jab tak sooraj chaand rahega, indira jee ka naam rahega '. Ram Mandir movement was prominent in the BJP's resurgent rise in the politics of the country, so the slogans of BJP resonated - 'Saugand Ram ki khaate hai, Mandir wahi banenge' besides 'wohi naara, wohi naam, Jayshree Ram, Jayshree Ram'.

Over the popularity of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP used the slogan 'Sabko Dekha Bari Bari, Abki Bari Atal Bihari'. In recent times too many slogans have made headlines. BJP's 'Achhe din aane wale hai' to 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' and 'Abki Baar, Modi Sarkar' are prominent among them.