Prestige at Stake for CM Sukhu in Himachal By-Elections mainly in Hamirpur. his home district, and Dehra in Kangra district, where his wife is making her political start..
SHIMLA: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's political stakes run high as the bye-elections in Dehra, Hamirpur, and Nalagarh Assembly Constituencies are head for a close finish.
The stakes are particularly high in Dehra, where his wife, Kamlesh, despite her lack of political experience, is making her debut on an Congress ticket.
In Hamirpur, Sukhu's home district, the competition is fierce, and his influence is under scrutiny.
In Dehra AC (Kangra district), Kamlesh (53) faces a tough challenge from Hoshyar Singh (57) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a seasoned social worker seeking his third term.
Additionally, independent candidates Sulekha Devi (59), Arun Ankesh Syal (34), and Advocate Sanjay Sharma (56) are in the fray.
This constituency is crucial for Sukhu, especially after Congress rebel Sudhir Sharma joined BJP and won the Dharamshala seat with a significant margin in previous by-elections and he had preached anti-Congress sentiments in Kangra district.
In Hamirpur AC, the contest includes Ashish Sharma (37) of BJP, Dr. Pushpinder Verma (48) of INC, and Independent candidate Nand Lal Sharma (64).
Hamirpur is not just Sukhu's home turf but also a key battleground where BJP MP Anurag Thakur and his father, BJP veteran Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, have substantial influence.
Their involvement could be critical in reversing their political fortunes following Prof. Dhumal’s defeat in Sujanpur in the last elections in 2018.
BJP leadership has denied the ministerial berth to Anurag Thakur, who once used be a darling of the Modi government as he was IB and Youth Services and Sports Minister and his performance was "good".
Nalagarh AC will see a five-way contest with Hardeep Singh Bawa (44) from INC, K.L. Thakur (64) from BJP, Kishori Lal Sharma (46) from the Swabhiman Party, and Independent candidates Harpreet Singh (36) and Vijay Singh (36) in the race. BJP is trying to turn tables on the Congress candidate Bawa as being "outsider" while KL Thakur as the son on the soil.
The withdrawal of Independent candidate Gurnam Singh leaves these five candidates to battle it out.
These bye-elections were triggered by the resignation of three MLAs—KL Thakur, Ashish Sharma, and Hoshyar Singh—who joined BJP, allegedly to destabilize the Sukhu government.
As a part of the Congress gameplan, their reservations were accepted by the Speaker after the results of the Lok Sabha on a premise that they would get a "possible" advantage of the Modi factor", which was noticed in all the four Lok Sabha seats that BJP won in Himachal Pradesh.
The Congress accuses BJP of orchestrating these defections, leading to elections that have halted development and strained the state's finances.
CM Sukhu is rallying voters to reject the BJP and the defectors, blaming them for the political instability and economic burden caused by the bye-elections.
Conversely, BJP argues that the Sukhu government’s failure to focus on development in these constituencies necessitated the elections.
Both parties are locked in a fierce battle, making these by-elections a crucial test of political strength and strategy in Himachal Pradesh.
