Chapter 58 Himachal Pradesh Election 2019
Samar changed the radio station, turning the corner up to Chhota Shimla. His mobile rang, like it had been ringing ever since the trends had begun to solidify. Samar glanced at the ID. Yogesh Patel’s Private Secretary — Roshan Sahai. Samar smirked, hitting accept.
“Ji, Roshanji.”
A few seconds later, Yogesh Patel came on. “Samar sahab, congratulations.”
“Thank you, Yogesh Bhai. Congratulations to you, too.”
“The next logical step is to convene. Our understanding in Jammu-Kashmir is a testament to our parties’ natural ideological alliance.”
“We are open to talk, Yogesh Bhai, you are always welcome to our office.”
“Come to Delhi.”
“I’m sorry, that won’t be possible today. I can fly out tomorrow…” Samar bluffed. He had to create the sense of urgency for Yogesh Patel to come to them, to ask, to make this as strongly negotiable in their favour as possible. He could get more ministries for HDP than its seat share demanded.
A pause. Samar thought Yogesh Patel would deny, or push back.
“I will be there this afternoon at 3. Do I have your word that you will not make a decision until then?”
“You have my word,” Samar said solemnly, slowing down at the gate of the building that housed the HDP headquarters.
The bigger one. Firecrackers and celebrations and dhols had already deafened the road outside.
As soon as they saw his car, they erupted in wild slogans, cheering him on as the way cleared and his car passed.
Samar nodded and waved, smiling at the excitement of the people who had trusted him when he had come here with nothing but the KDP name in his pocket.
He parked and got out, only to be overwhelmed by party members. Instantly, he had lost his footing and was on their shoulders, holding on for life as they hailed him up and down. Samar laughed, holding his specs from falling off.
“Congratulations, sir,” Gauri mouthed, finding him just as he was let down.
Samar patted backs and shook hands and slapped shoulders, moving towards her through the crowd.
She held out the padded folder he had been waiting for.
It held the final seat count, the declared result, and the list of ministries that he had compiled last night for an eventuality exactly like this.
“Has HJS gotten in touch with anybody else?” Samar asked in a low voice, walking away from the fanfare and the cameras and the press.
“Balwinderji.”
“Did Atharva come?”
“Yes, sir, everybody is gathered in your office. But you need to give a media bite before you go up.”
“Not yet, I need to finalise where we are going first.”
“Amaal madam called and asked me to tell you this.”
He let out an amused huff — “Why is Amaal madam not calling me? Anyway, I’ll talk to her. In the meantime, ask our official spokespersons to spread media bites. Nothing but the standard statement.”
“That we are thrilled and exploring our options in the best interests of the people of Himachal Pradesh?”
“Hmm.” Samar got into the lift and she hung back.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I have to oversee the media bites.”
“Next time Amaal madam calls, tell her she is the Press Secretary of CM Qureshi, not Media Head of HDP,” Samar relayed with a smirk, expecting her to come biting at him. He pulled out his mobile. The lift doors slid close and he checked her last message, re-reading it.
AMAAL
CONGRATULATIONS DAAXSAAB!!!
He smiled. She had sent it even before the trends had settled.
He had called her but she had been asleep, half mumbling her congrats and going back down.
Now, she seemed awake and quite too awake.
The lift doors opened and he stepped off, beginning to press for her when he saw the crowd outside his office.
All junior members, sectaries, assistants to the senior leaders gathered inside.
They saw him and broke into applause. Samar locked his phone shut, smiling and nodding, walking through the gully they made and pushing the door to his office open.
All his senior leaders were seated on his round table, the kingmakers.
“Sorry, sorry.” He strode in, smiling at them all, and stopping at Atharva.
He had been the silent spine. Samar hadn’t been the easiest to follow, but Atharva had followed.
And strangely, Samar felt giddy to see him proud.
He adjusted his specs and took his seat, pulling out the papers from his folder.
“Congratulations, first of all. We have pierced HJS’s armour. Here are the final numbers.” He read from the papers. “All seats have been called. HJS closed at 22, Janta Party at 21. We hold the power to form government with either party at 14.”
“How many independents?” Atharva asked.
“What does it matter? A majority is 35. Whichever party we go with will form the government. We have the highest bargaining chips. I have been speaking to HJS as well as Janta. Yogesh Patel wants to meet us but I think we should give HJS the first…”
“Samar, there are 11 independents called.” Atharva reminded him.
“Yes, so?” He sat back. “Even if they all come together, they can’t touch majority with either of these parties.”
“I agree, but if 2 or 3 from HDP dissented and moved, then the power has shifted to them.”
Samar shook his head — “Nobody will go. They know we hold the power today.” And he would wrest the best from either Janta or HJS, whoever was willing to give.
“That’s what I am saying, use that power to sway a rising sun, not the one that is setting,” Atharva argued. "HJS is fragmenting. Their founding member is not here anymore to hold them together. They will offer you more, but Janta is the long game.”
“Hmm. You mean we should give Yogesh Patel the first chance?”
“I mean, we should only give Yogesh Patel a chance. We already have an alliance with them in Jammu & Kashmir, they are the ruling party at the Centre. And looking at their ratings, they are not going anywhere in the near future. Furthermore, all the expansion we have started in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana will best be penetrated with Janta by our side. We start as their B team and then slowly take over from there.”
“I agree with Atharva Bhai,” Hariraj nodded. “We pressure Janta that we have an option with HJS and get the best that we can.”
Atharva smirked — “Bingo.”
“I don’t think so…” Balwinder Joshi chimed. “HJS will be subservient to us. We may not get our CM, but Deputy, Home and Finance can easily be wrested. At our numbers, that’s a feat.”
“With Janta, you will be able to get two out of these three,” Atharva pointed.
“But you will be able to influence all decisions because you will have the power to pull your support at any given point. They will acknowledge that, and give you unofficial powers. Because a party that tastes power once, does not want to let it go. At any cost.”
Samar gave it a thought. The logic made sense. The table erupted in a debate, and Samar kept tally, because he was now confused. He had planned to give HJS and Janta, both equal shots. The debate was now turning in favour of Janta. Atharva was silent.
All eyes turned to Samar, but Samar looked at Atharva.
“Atharva? What do you say?”
He nodded. “Both options at this point look lucrative. But Hariraj made a valid point. Our bargaining power with Janta will be higher than HJS.”
“Would you like to sit for the meeting with Yogesh Patel?” Samar asked.
“I can sit. It’s been a while since I saw him.”
“Bad cop or good?”
Atharva shrugged — “You are leading, go figure.”
————————————————————
“Samar sahab, what you are asking is unreasonable.” Yogesh Patel shook his head calmly, setting the list of ministries down. Samar sat opposite him on the round table in his own office, and yet he felt like he was the one who had come to Yogesh Patel. How did the man exert such an aura?
He glanced to the side, the line of secretary chairs, occupied by three other men aside from them — Hariraj, Roshanji and Atharva.
It pushed Samar to reason — “You and HJS both are at 21-22, we are the only major party that can pick from either to form government. I think there’s strong enough reason why HDP gets to decide what ministries it keeps.”
“Not with these numbers, no.” Yogesh Patel said.
“AT 14, you do not represent the majority of the population. You have the numbers to shift dynamics that could only be devised by divine intervention. I am happy that a valued partner like HDP has the opportunity to do this, but I will not give in to bullying.”
“This is plain, simple politics, Yogesh Bhai. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same had you been in my place.”
“If I were in your place, I would look at long-term. Wresting out ministries at the formation of the government is not victory. You are here to stay. Stay and work with us, build more in the state. Your expansion across the rest of northern India is also at stake otherwise.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No. It’s what I would do if I were in your place. Withdraw your list, and let’s discuss a more reasonable one.”
Samar knew anyway that the list of demands he had passed on wouldn’t materialise. So, he got down to the real ones now.
“I respect you, and I respect our alliance in Jammu-Kashmir. In keeping with that, I will relent on some, hoping you will relent on others.”
Yogesh Patel stared unflinchingly at him, then gave a nod. Samar smiled.
“Your Chief Minister, of course, with HDP Deputy Chief Minister. The smaller ministries are up for discussion, but we will not settle without Home, Law & Order, and Finance."
Yogesh Patel got slightly worked up, which was a rare sight. “What you are asking is impossible. If you want Deputy, and Law & Order, then you will not get Finance.”
Samar saw the opportunity of piercing his desperation. “This or nothing.”
Yogesh Patel went quiet. The room fell silent. And then, to Samar’s utter shock, Yogesh Patel began to push his chair back.
“Thank you for sitting for this meeting, Samar sahab…”