Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is a worried man these days. Although the BJP managed to win three of the four Lok Sabha seats in the election and Dhumal seems to be firmly at the helm, questions are surfacing as to why the margin of victory was not as large as expected. Moreover, with only two vacancies in the Cabinet and many contenders for them, there will undoubtedly be a lot of resentment in the party once the names are announced. Dhumal, who is reportedly weighing the option of appointing legislators as chief parliamentary secretaries and parliamentary secretaries to accommodate some of the contenders for the Cabinet seats, is likely to run into controversy on that front as well. Incidentally, when he was part of the Opposition during the last Congress government, Dhumal had resolutely opposed these appointments claiming that a small state like Himachal did not require so many office-bearers.

With heat wave come tourists, ‘guest-fall’

Apart from uncharacteristically high temperatures, the hill stations here are feeling the heat on other fronts too. Driven by the searing heat wave across the country, tourists are flocking to Himachal and the resorts and hotels are booked to capacity. Local residents, barring those in the hospitality business, are a harassed lot, having to battle frequent traffic jams, an acute shortage of drinking water, parking problems and unsanitary conditions. Compounding the problem is the phenomenon of “guest-fall” — a term for those who descend on relatives and friends during the summer.

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