The BJP has been meticulously preparing for the state elections for the past two years, summoning all its forces from among youth and women. For the past two years, the party has set up a formidable army of women workers who were paid monthly salaries. On the other front, it has drummed up a huge force of youth to make its mark on the social media. Though this will be use for the saffron party, yet, rampant factionalism among the top state leaders is hurting the Lotus. Sitting CM Virbhadra Singh may have been pasted with rampant corruption charges, yet, a huge section of the state bureaucracy is his firm supporter. The communists are firmly in place in the upper reaches of the state and they may make some of the contests multi-cornered. In many seats some independent candidates seem to be firm favourites, and hence, all these machinations by BJP may look like giving it an advantage, it is still a tough contest for the latter.