Thakur, known as a “gentle leader” who has always shunned the limelight, was thrust into the frontrunner slot after the surprise loss of BJP chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal in the Assembly elections.
Jairam Thakur's name was the only one considered by the BJP Legislature Party meeting, following a brief from BJP president Amit Shah
Prem Kumar Dhumal, who lost the election in Sujanpur, has proposed Jairam Thakur's name at the BJP legislature party meeting and it was supported by Union Minister J P Nadda.
Supporters of Prem Kumar Dhumal, the CM candidate who lost from Sujanpur after shifting from Hamirpur, are not prepared to give up their claim to power. Five-term MLA Jairam Thakur, on the other hand, has emerged front-runner for the post.
Sloganeering in favour of Prem Kumar Dhumal and counter-slogans by those backing candidature Jairam Thakur was witnessed even as consultations were underway.
The BJP won 44 seats in the state, reducing the Congress to just 21 in the 68-member state Assembly.
Singha began his political career as a student leader in Himachal Pradesh University. His involvement in a murder case during his university days in 1978, and conviction in 1987, is what Singha believes put him through a hard test
Thakur won consecutive elections from Chachiot in 2003 and 2007 by big margins, before the constituency became Seraj. In 2012, he defeated Congress’s Tara Thakur by over 5,700 votes
Elected for the fifth time, Jairam was party’s state president when BJP returned to power in 1998.
Party wise, two out of the 21 Congress MLAs and 18 out of 44 BJP MLAs have criminal cases pending against them, besides one CPM MLA and one Independent.
A Raj Bhawan spokesman said Governor had accepted his resignation and asked him to continue till the new government takes charge.
Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), who won from Naduan Assembly constituency under Hamirpur district tells The Indian Express about why the party could not repeat their government despite exuding confidence before the Assembly election.
Himachal Pradesh election results 2017: BJP won a clear majority in the hill state winning 44 seats out in the 68-member House. Congress managed to win only 21 seats.
Himachal Pradesh election results 2017: On Monday, Rajinder Rana became known as the Congress candidate who defeated the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate from Sujanpur by 1,919 votes
Himachal Pradesh election results 2017: “There must a reason for their defeat as it’s not just Dhumal, but state BJP president Satpal Satti and senior party leader Maheshwar Singh who have also lost," Virbhadra Singh said
The Prime Minister, having a close connection with the state at the time he was general secretary in-charge in 1998 when Prem Kumar Dhumal formed the government with coalition with Sukh Ram’s Himachal Vikas Congress, could have proved to the BJP’s advantage.
Neeraj Nayyar, another Congress debutant and son of former Congress minister Sagar Chand Nayyar, lost to a BJP first-timer Pawan Nayyar by 1879 votes.
By 3 pm, the packed office at his residence had emptied out, the bittersweet message was clear: The 73-year-old veteran was losing at a time when his party was sweeping the state.
Veteran politician and Transport Minister GS Bali who was expecting to come out victorious with a huge margin from Kangra, however, lost to BJP’s Arun Kumar by a margin of 1,000 votes.
Anti-incumbency, allegations of the patronising mafia, corruption, and deterioration in law and order cost the Congress dear in Himachal elections and made several party stalwarts bite the dust.
