Munish Sood
MANDI:
The Congress late on Friday appointed senior party leader Champa Thakur as the president of the Mandi District Congress Committee, entrusting her with the responsibility of strengthening the party organisation in one of Himachal Pradesh’s most politically significant districts.
Champa Thakur, a prominent Congress face in Mandi, is the daughter of veteran Congress leader and former Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Thakur Kaul Singh, an eight-time MLA from the Drang Assembly constituency. Her elevation comes at a time when the party is seeking organisational consolidation ahead of upcoming electoral challenges.
She has previously contested two Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections from the Mandi Sadar constituency — in 2017 and 2022 — and lost on both occasions to BJP candidate Anil Sharma. Despite these defeats, she has remained actively engaged in grassroots politics and party organisation.
Champa Thakur has also served as the chairperson of the Mandi zila parishad. However, she was removed from the post in 2018 following a no-confidence motion after the BJP came to power in the state. Since then, she has continued to hold key organisational roles within the Congress and was appointed party general secretary in May 2024.
According to her election affidavit filed during the 2022 Assembly polls, her professional background includes experience as a zila parishad member, businesswoman and agriculturist.
Political observers believe her appointment reflects the Congress leadership’s attempt to rebuild the party’s organisational strength in Mandi, a district that has witnessed internal factionalism in recent years. While Mandi has historically been considered a Congress-influenced region, the party has faced setbacks in recent elections, with the BJP maintaining a strong organisational presence.
As District Congress president, Champa Thakur is expected to focus on uniting various party factions, energising grassroots workers, and countering the BJP’s organisational machinery in the district. Her leadership will be closely watched, particularly in the context of upcoming local body elections and future Assembly and parliamentary contests.
Her appointment also places significant responsibility on her shoulders to convert her political experience and organisational role into tangible electoral gains for the Congress in Mandi district.
