Nagendar Sharma BBC correspondent in Shimla

About four million voters will vote to elect a new state assembly on 26 February.

The elections, which otherwise would not have attracted much attention, have become a prestige fight for both parties since the BJP victory in Gujarat polls.

National leaders of both parties have descended on the historic city of Shimla, the erstwhile summer capital during the British rule in India.

Neither the BJP nor the Congress seems to be leaving any stone unturned in their efforts to win.

Observers say the campaign of accusations against political rivals adds a new dimension to state politics.

This time it is being seen as the determination of the national leadership of both parties to secure victory at any cost.

The major reason for this desperation is the impact every state election is having on national politics, especially after Gujarat.

Corruption claims

Snow and rain have prevented the national leaders of the two main parties from holding public rallies to mobilise public opinion.

Nevertheless, a bitter campaign of charges and counter-charges is on in the form of frequent press conferences.

The ruling BJP is trying to project development work during the last five years, when it was in power.

Congress is focusing on corruption and unemployment as its main campaign issues.

It has targeted Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, accusing him of having accumulated much wealth and property at the cost of common people.

Strangely, the BJP's Hindutva campaign is missing here.

Instead, it is concentrating on local issues and the failures of Congress governments in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Uttaranchal and lately Jammu and Kashmir.