Petitioner alleged disbursal of money to women groups during poll code
TNR News Network
Shimla:
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Thursday (October 30, 2025) issued notices to the state government and the Kangra Cooperative Bank on a petition challenging the election of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur from the Dehra Assembly constituency.
The petition, filed by BJP candidate and former MLA Hoshyar Singh, alleges large-scale misuse of official machinery during the July 10, 2024, Dehra bypoll, in which Kamlesh Thakur defeated him by 9,399 votes. The byelection was necessitated after Hoshyar Singh, who was earlier an Independent MLA, resigned from the Assembly and joined the BJP in March following the Rajya Sabha polls.
Rs 50,000 disbursed to 67 Mahila Mandals each
According to the petition, the state government allegedly disbursed Rs 50,000 each to 67 Mahila Mandals through the Kangra Cooperative Bank and credited three-month instalments of the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana to the accounts of about 1,000 women during the period when the model code of conduct was in force. Hoshyar Singh claimed these actions amounted to “cash for votes”.
He alleged that the government concealed the details of these disbursements and even declined to share information in response to questions raised in the Assembly and through Right to Information (RTI) applications. It was only after filing an RTI appeal, Hoshyar Singh said, that he obtained documents that formed the basis of his petition.
The BJP leader contended that if the government had provided the information on time, he would have lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India, but the delay prevented him from doing so within the 45-day statutory period.
Issue raised earlier in Vidhan Sabha
The “cash-for-votes” charge had earlier resonated in the Himachal Assembly as well, with BJP MLAs Sudhir Sharma and Ashish Sharma raising the issue during the monsoon session, demanding details of funds released to women’s groups in Dehra. However, the government allegedly failed to give a satisfactory response, leading to uproar in the House.
The case has now reached the High Court, which has sought replies from the state government and the Kangra Cooperative Bank. Political observers say the development could have major ramifications in state politics, as the petitioner has also written to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, urging him to disqualify Kamlesh Thakur for six years for alleged violation of electoral norms.
With the matter now before the judiciary, all eyes are on the high court’s next hearing in what could become one of the most politically sensitive election-related cases in recent times in Himachal Pradesh.
