Winter Chill Sets in the Hills, Political Heat to Rise in UP and Punjab

Winter is setting in, and the portals of the Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines were closed on Wednesday following prescribed rituals and the chanting of Vedic mantras.

It is reported that more than 19.13 lakh pilgrims visited Kedarnath and over 8.84 lakh visited Yamunotri during this year's pilgrimage season.

While the deities will now rest at their respective winter abodes, political heat is all set to reach new heights in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Punjab is heading towards a peculiar political situation. The principal fight is likely to be between the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, and the AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal. The drug menace and the deteriorating law and order situation in the state have become major causes of concern for the AAP government. But the big question is whether the Congress, which is perhaps the only party capable of mounting a serious challenge to AAP, will be able to cash in on the situation.

The Congress plans to take on AAP on issues such as the growing drug menace, the alleged remote control of the state government by Arvind Kejriwal from Delhi, the agricultural crisis and the lack of outside investment.

As far as the drug menace is concerned, AAP is likely to counter the grand old party by arguing that Punjab's battle against drugs predates the Aam Aadmi Party's arrival in power.

The state had been grappling with a serious narcotics problem for years, with heroin addiction, cross-border trafficking and the proliferation of local drug networks emerging as major challenges. Both the SAD-BJP government and the subsequent Congress regime faced criticism over their inability to eliminate the menace. Captain Amarinder Singh's much-publicised promise to break the backbone of the drug menace within four weeks of assuming office remained unfulfilled. When Bhagwant Mann assumed office in March 2022, he inherited a problem that had acquired deep social, economic and security dimensions.

Though Sonia Gandhi's memoir has stirred considerable controversy over the Congress party's stand on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi following the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the party appears to believe that it can deflect attention by attacking the BJP and the RSS over the Godhra riots. However, according to many members of the Sikh community, the book has reopened old wounds, and this could have a serious impact on the Congress party's electoral prospects.

Importantly, the drug menace in Punjab was not a problem inherited by AAP from the Congress government alone. It had been a major issue under successive governments, including the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP regime (2007–2017) and the Congress government (2017–2022).

According to estimates from studies on substance abuse in Punjab, around 1.7 lakh people were opioid-dependent, while more than 22 lakh were alcohol-dependent. Punjab shares a 553-km international border with Pakistan. Heroin originating in Afghanistan and trafficked through Pakistan has been a major concern. Opium, poppy husk and other narcotics have also entered Punjab through neighbouring states. Drug trafficking networks have operated alongside local distribution networks. Punjab has served both as a transit route and a consumption market for narcotics originating in the Golden Crescent (Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran).

AAP, therefore, will argue that it has been trying to undo the wrongs of previous governments and eradicate the drug menace. It is also likely to recall Captain Amarinder Singh's emphatic electoral promise that his government would break the backbone of the drug menace within four weeks of assuming office. His government subsequently established a Special Task Force (STF) to tackle drug trafficking and addiction.

Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi's memoir, which hit the stands on Tuesday, is likely to add to the Congress party's problems. The book seeks to defend those accused in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and also revisits the Godhra incident, in which 59 kar sevaks died after a train coach was set on fire, followed by widespread violence. This has set the stage for a fresh round of attacks and counterattacks between the Congress and the BJP over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the mass sterilisation programme carried out on the instructions of Sanjay Gandhi during the Emergency.

On the other hand, in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress party will be looking to take on the BJP on issues such as the Shah Bano case and Vote Chori. While these issues may not necessarily give the party a significant electoral advantage, the BJP is likely to raise allegations of an anti-Sanatan mindset within the Congress and accuse it of pursuing a policy of appeasement. The BJP will also rely heavily on its achievements during the last 10 years.

With the Congress still largely absent from active campaigning in the state, the party risks losing further ground. The role of the AIMIM could also influence electoral outcomes in a few constituencies. The grand old party may ultimately have to remain content with the number three position in Uttar Pradesh politics.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gowri V

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A Journey of Three Decades Time passes faster than we realise. What feels like a journey that began only yesterday has today grown into more than three decades of a meaningful and fulfilling life devoted to education, journalism, and the empowerment of young minds. My professional journey began with journalism training in New Delhi in 1979. I went on to work as an independent journalist, drawing on my fluency in both English and Telugu. Over the years, I have edited and worked on Telugu articles in both languages, an experience that strengthened my command of language and sharpened my understanding of society, people, and contemporary issues. Yet, my principal profession and enduring passion have always been teaching. My decision to become a teacher was not merely a career choice—it was a calling. Teaching offered me the rare privilege of inspiring young minds, guiding them through their formative years, and making a lasting difference in their lives. I found immense satisfaction in simplifying complex concepts, nurturing curiosity, encouraging independent thought, and building confidence among students. Every moment in the classroom—every question, every moment of discovery, and every spark of understanding—reminded me why I had chosen this path: to empower young people through knowledge, values, and essential life skills. My teaching career began at the grassroots level as a Montessori teacher and gradually progressed to the position of Vice Principal. I had the opportunity to work in reputed educational institutions, including Dilsukhnagar Public School in Hyderabad, where I shouldered both teaching and administrative responsibilities. Although I have always considered myself, at heart, a teacher, my administrative experience enabled me to understand and contribute to the education system from a much broader perspective. For my students, I have always tried to be an approachable and dependable presence—someone they could turn to not only for academic support, but also for guidance and emotional encouragement. At the same time, I developed a reputation as a firm disciplinarian who believed that integrity, fairness, responsibility, and discipline were fundamental to education. I was also consistently appreciated for maintaining clear communication with parents and staff and for ensuring that examinations and other academic processes were conducted with transparency, fairness, and efficiency. As my career progressed, however, I began to feel that academic education alone was not enough. This realization led me to work more closely with students following the SSC and CBSE curricula, while consciously bringing life-skills education into my teaching. I came to understand that education becomes truly meaningful when it prepares children not merely to pass examinations, but to face life. Teaching emotional resilience, self-reliance, social awareness, communication, decision-making, and other practical life skills often had a deeper and more lasting impact than academic achievement alone. I saw how these skills could help students navigate challenges with greater confidence, maturity, and responsibility. My academic background provided a strong foundation for this approach. My degree in Psychology from the University of Madras helped me develop a deeper understanding of young people's minds, their emotional needs, and the influence of their family and social environments. My M.A. in Telugu with First Class from Osmania University.

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