Its’ BJP v/s former BJP on Congress ticket in Hamirpur

By: Chander Shekhar Sharma

HAMIRPUR: It’s going to be BJP v/s former BJP on Congress party ticket from Hamirpur seat this time. Anurag Thakur of the BJP is the sitting MP and had won the seat in the 2008 bye election.

While the BJP has reposed its faith in its sitting MP, Anurag Thakur, the Congress party has fielded a former BJP man, Narendra Thakur as its candidate from the seat. Narendra Thakur had joined the Congress party on October 20th, 2008. While Anurag Thakur is the son of HP Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, Narendra Thakur is the son of another former BJP stalwart, late Jagdev Chand Thakur.

There are so many other things common in both the candidates, both are Rajputs by caste and belong to Hamirpur district. While Narendra Thakur has contested Hamirpur assembly seat twice on BJP ticket but lost both times, Anurag Thakur contested Hamirpur Lok sabha seat for the first time in 2008 and won the same.

The Congress candidate had also worked as the Hamirpur district BJP chief when his father was one of the top leaders of the party in the state. He is lawyer by profession and works at Hamirpur bar.

Anurag Thakur on other hand is a former Ranji Trophy player of Punjab team and now the President of HP Cricket association. He is also the Secretary of HP Olympic association of which JP Nadda; the Forest Minister is the president. Anurag Thakur has also worked in his tool based industry at Jalandhar (Punjab) before joining the active politics.

While Anurag Thakur was made to join the active politics as his election to the HP state cricket association and thereafter works done by him didn’t digest the previous Congress rule led by Mr. Vir Bhadra Singh. A bill was passed by the previous Congress committee making various changes in the HP Sports act to bring the working of HP Cricket association under its control. This led Anurag Thakur to fight a legal battle and won the case at the apex court of India.

On other hand, Narendra Thakur was made to leave the BJP as his presence in the party was not liked by majority BJP leaders and workers of the Hamirpur district. Narendra was denied Vidhan sabha ticket in 1998 and the same was given to his elder Bhabhi, Mrs. Urmila Thakur and she won the seat. Again in 2003, Narendra contested the Hamirpur seat as an independent but lost.

Since BJP claims unity in all the seventeen assembly segments of the district and Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal plays a dominant role here; Anurag hopes to sweep the election this time too.

However, Narendra Thakur claims that his presence in the election this time will create a miracle and he will overturn the applecart of the BJP even in the presence of the Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal.