The Dehra Assembly constituency in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh was in for more surprise on Friday (June 21, 2024) as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur filed her nomination for the July 10 bypoll, albeit in the presence of Congress “rebel” Dr Rajesh Sharma who had two days ago alleged that he was “kidnapped” for insisting on the contest.
Also accompanying Kamlesh Thakur were Chief Minister Sukhu and Congress state president Pratibha Singh. However, the presence of Dr Rajesh, former Congress candidate who had lost in the 2022 Assembly elections, added a dramatic twist to the proceedings as he had announced that he would contest as an independent.
Dr Rajesh, who had lost to Independent Hoshyar Singh in 2022, had announced his intention to run independently this time. In an emotional gathering with his supporters, he had alleged that he was detained for nine hours at the Chief Minister’s official residence Oak Over in Shimla and faced threats regarding business closures and personal harm from the Chief Minister.
Expressing his grievances, Dr Sharma accused Chief Minister Sukhu of prioritising familial interests over party loyalty. “If anything happens to my children in Pune or if I suffer a heart attack, Chief Minister Sukhu will be responsible,” Dr Sharma declared, demanding a reversal of the Congress decision to field Kamlesh Thakur.
He metaphorically criticised the Chief Minister, saying, “I am the commander of Dehra at this moment. The king’s duty is to protect the commander, but instead, Chief Minister Sukhu has fielded his queen to gain political advantage.”
Following his emotional speech, Dr Sharma felt unwell and was taken to the Civil Hospital in Dehra by his supporters, highlighting the deep-seated discontent within local party ranks over the ticket allocation.
In response to the controversy, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu defended his wife’s candidacy. He cited a survey indicating strong local support and endorsement from panchayat pradhans. Sukhu explained that he initially did not want his wife to contest but had to comply with directives from the party’s high command, which endorsed her candidacy.
“This decision was not my personal choice. It was a mandate from the party leadership,” Sukhu clarified. He emphasised his wife’s longstanding connection to Dehra, her maternal home, and expressed confidence in her ability to win the seat that has previously eluded the Congress.
Meanwhile, the political activity wasn’t confined to Dehra alone. In Hamirpur, Dr Pushpendra Verma filed his nomination for the Assembly by-election. Accompanied by Sujanpur MLA Captain Ranjit Rana, his wife and his father, Dr Verma submitted his papers before the SDM and Election Officer of Hamirpur Vidhan Sabha seat.
A massive rally at Gandhi Chowk, attended by Chief Minister Sukhu, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and Congress state president Pratibha Singh, marked the occasion.
Dr Verma, addressing the rally, described the by-election as one imposed on the people of Hamirpur due to the “sale of the former independent MLA in the BJP’s political market”.
He vowed to serve the public, positioning the election as a battle between the mafia and the people, and sought the blessings of the voters for a decisive victory. Chief Minister Sukhu also addressed the gathering, urging support for the Congress candidate and dismissing the opposition’s aspirations, saying, “Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur should stop dreaming of forming the government. We have 38 MLAs.”
