BJP son-shine burns Cong

Less than five months after its landslide win in the Assembly elections, the BJP registered an impressive victory as Anurag Thakur...

Less than five months after its landslide win in the Assembly elections, the BJP registered an impressive victory as Anurag Thakur, the cricketer son of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, was elected from Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency. Following the by-poll elections that were held here on May 22, Thakur, 34, defeated O P Rattan of the Congress by a margin of 1,74,666 votes: the highest record for any winning BJP candidate in Himachal Pradesh ever.

Previously, his father had contested the same seat in June 2007 and had won by a margin of 80,000 during the earlier Congress regime; he resigned his Lok Sabha membership after he became Chief Minister in December 2007.

Thakur’s victory comes as a blow to Congress fortunes in the state, especially after its poor performance in the Assembly elections. The party’s base appears to have been further eroded as it did not lead in even one of the 17 Assembly constituencies of this parliamentary constituency, which is spread through the districts of Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Kangra. The Congress has lost almost 40 per cent of its vote share as compared to 2007 by-election.

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Significantly for Dhumal, Hamirpur—his political stronghold—once again stood solidly behind him in defining a new role for his son. Thakur’s victory is also an indication of Dhumal’s popularity as Chief Minister, although the Opposition accused him of promoting parvarvad or ‘family rule’.

In his own right, Anurag Thakur is president of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, making him a popular candidate for young people.

However, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Viplove Thakur alleged that the BJP victory in Hamirpur was not that of the BJP but of its government, which misused the official machinery to enhance prospects for the chief minister’s son.

Dhumal, on the other hand, said the victory was a powerful mandate and endorsement of the policies and programmes of the party initiated in past four months.