Uttarakhand elections 2017: The votes of servicemen and their families will greatly impact the results.
Uttarakhand, which goes to vote for its 70 Assembly seats in just two weeks, produces the highest number of Indian army officers per capita of the population. Nearly 30 per cent of the electorate comprises servicemen, ex-servicemen and their families. In the upcoming state elections, thus political parties are trying their best to woo the 'fauji' vote-bank.
BJP legislator from Mussoorie Ganesh Joshi, who was accused of assaulting police horse 'Shaktiman' during protest and arrested after a national outrage over the incident, claims over 6,000 ex-servicemen are supporting him alone. Canvassing in Kandli village, Mr Joshi said, "You can see it for yourself. I asked them (ex-servicemen) how much did you get after the government announced OROP (One Rank One Pension) and they said that after sixty years if there is anyone who has fulfilled our promise, it is the BJP."
"Never before had surgical strikes happened in this way; it sends a message that the BJP government is both willing and ready to do something for its people", said Bhawani Singh, an ex-servicemen campaigning for Mr Joshi.
"This (BJP) government has made everything digital. Not only have they increased the pension, one can also access it more easily now," added Hari Kang, another second generation retired soldier from the same regiment.
In neighbouring Nangnath village however, families of the faujis seemed more taken in by the Congress candidate Godawari Thapli, who enjoys the support of the Gurkha which community has an electoral base of 12 lakh and harbour a formidable reputation in the army.
"We are fauji families whose sons are still serving in the army. As of now we are with the Congress. Let's see what happens ahead," adds 28-year-old Anjana.
The Congress has condemned the BJP for making OROP and the surgical strikes a political issue. "It is sad and unfortunate that the BJP has for the first time politicized our armed forces," said state Congress committee chief Kishor Upadhyay to NDTV. The irony however is that Chief Minister Harish Rawat himself recently declared a proposal for the opening of a ministry for soldiers and ex-servicemen by March 2017 if elected to power.
"I don't believe the promises that either government makes," says an irate Brig. KG Behl, former president of the Uttarakhand Ex-Servicemen League. "Despite the fact that we constitute about 30 per cent of the state, our people are still very divided. There was once even a proposal of forming a different political a party for soldiers but it fizzled out," said the retired Brigadier.
"I feel that by and large people will be attracted to the amount of OROP and surgical strikes but it will be limited to ex-servicemen in urban areas. In rural areas, where people still don't know about the importance of OROP because they don't have TVs, the pattern of voting will be different," said Col. PL Prashar, also from the UESL.