Will    Congress'  high pitch  campaign seeking votes on " sympathy factor for the legacy of Late Virbhadra Singh and the issues of  price rise" win over BJP's push for  "Kargil war hero legacy  and double engine plank"?   

No doubt, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was in the forefront  of the battle of the ballot  between  Congress Pratibha Singh and  Brig Khushal Singh Thakur of the BJP to retain the Mandi Lok Sabha  seat in his bid to keep himself firmly in the saddle ahead of state assembly elections in 2022.

Jai Ram Thakur reminded voters of BJP ruling both in Himachal and at the centre where the Modi government has four years to go and hence BJP MP would be an advantage for development  in Mandi.   

But low voters turnout in Mandi, except in CM's Seraj over 70 per cent) and two other assembly seats -Balh and Nachan (both SC reserved seats, over 60 per cent polling ) has kept both BJP and Congress on tenterhooks. 

 Keeping all guesses  apart, the November 2  counting of votes  would actually  tell  to what extent Congress push for  a "sympathy factor for Raja Late Virbhadra Singh and issue of surging prices"   swayed the voters, says a political affairs expert.   Certainly, it was there in rallies and on social media, he adds. 

Similarly,   BJP's campaign sharpened its thrust on  creating patriotic fervour for the live Kargil war hero, Brig Thakur on social media and in rallies and campaigns, playing up the failure of Pratibha Singh  as an MP earlier, he says.

BJP also painted Pratibha Singh as a Mazboor candidate as she was forced to contest, a remark that  Congress  opposed by tooth and nail. How much these planks would translate into  more votes for the party.  BJP played up the role of Pratibha Singh as an MP earlier among the voters,  charging she did not fare well and did precious little for Mandi people.   The voters were not enthusiastic either as it was just a bypoll, says the expert.  

As it happened  BJP displayed videos of the Kargil war  on social media in which Brig Thakur, who had led the battle  from the war front in Kargil heights, had played a pivotal role in  defeating Pak intruding troops in 1999.  Thakur also rode on  his clean image and his Kargil legacy to seek votes not only of the large number of exservicemen but also of  the aam aadmi, an observer says.

On the other Congress party including Pratibha Singh and her son Shimla rural MLA Vikramaditya Singh  played up the legacy  of his father late Virbhadra Singh as six times CM and his development works in Mandi Lok sabha segment and issues of surging prices, gas cylinder, petrol and diesel, essential commodities to woo the voters.

Congress and its supporters CPIM and kisan sangharsh samiti also raked up failure of the Brig  Thakur  to force the the governments  to give factor 2 compensation to the fourlane oustess of the Mandi-Kullu fourlane highway project. Thakur had once led the fourlane oustess sangharsh samiti,  pressing unsuccessfully for seeking factor 2 compensation for the acquired land, they remained the voters questioning his double speak. 

Congress hope to fare better in Rampur, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Anni, Kullu's Banjar outter Seraj, BJP claimed it would score  better in Mandi and Kullu districts.  

In Jubbal-Kotkhai,  the supporters of  Congress Rohit Thakur claimed they would win the bypoll  as BJP would split up its votes due to the rebel candidate Chetan Bragta.

But Chetan Bragta's supporters claimed that they would win as Bragta was riding  high  on the sympathy factor of his father late Narinder Bragta,  " hum hai seb wale (we are apple growers" plank  and party's denial of ticket to him. 

BJP claimed the party candidate new comer Neelam Saraik would win as Sariak enjoyed clean image and first woman candidate"  and a grass root worker when she was a Zila Parishad member and had won Throla ward twice despite opposition by then MLA Narender Bragta. 

In Arki Congress candidate Sanjay  Awasthi  and BJP Rattan Pal faced music  from the rebellions from the candidates who were denied the tickets. The ditto is the story in Fatehopur where BJP candidate Baldev Thakur faced split in party votes due to rebels and independent Dr Rajan Sushant, former BJP Kangra MP in fray.