2-cornered contest likely in Dehra as CM Sukhu’s wife pitted against 2-term legislator
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DHARAMSHALA: The July 10 byelections to three Assembly constituency of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh are set to witness a keen contest, especially in Dehra seat.
After the scrutiny process, all seven candidates who had filed nominations for the Dehra seat have been found eligible to contest.
Returning Officer and Dehra SDM Shilpi Bekta confirmed that the scrutiny of nomination papers was completed on June 24 in the presence of General Observer Israel Vatre Inti (IAS). “During the scrutiny, all nominations filed for the by-election were found valid,” Bekta stated.
Following the scrutiny, five candidates remain in the fray for the Dehra assembly seat:
1. Kamlesh Thakur (Congress)
2. Hoshyar Singh (BJP)
3. Sanjay Sharma (Independent)
4. Sulekha Devi (Independent)
5. Arun Ankesh Syal (Independent)
The last date for withdrawal of nominations is June 26.
Kamlesh Thakur, the Congress candidate, is making her political debut. She is the wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and owns property worth Rs 9.14 crore, including movable assets valued at Rs 90.88 lakh and immovable assets worth Rs 8.23 crores. Her family shares in this wealth, with significant holdings in New Chandigarh, Chhota Shimla, Nadaun, Shimla and Baddi in Solan.
Hoshyar Singh, the BJP candidate, has a strong track record in Dehra. He won the 2017 election as an independent with 44.32% of the votes and repeated his success in the 2022 election. This time, he is contesting on the BJP symbol.
As the election date approaches, the battle for Dehra promises to be closely watched, with both seasoned and new contenders vying for victory.
