Anurag emerges taller with 4th consecutive win

SHIMLA: Having contested the election in the backof his father PK Dhumal’s crushing defeat in the Assembly elections in 2017, three-time sitting MP Anurag Thakur registered an imposing victory which will only consolidate his claim for a bigger role in national politics.

Hamirpur BJP candidate Anurag Thakur along with his supporters during a victory march.

Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service
Shimla, May 23

Having contested the election in the backdrop of his father PK Dhumal’s crushing defeat in the Assembly elections in 2017, three-time sitting MP Anurag Thakur registered an imposing victory which will only consolidate his claim for a bigger role in national politics.

Anurag (44), despite facing undercutting from within his own party, fashioned his victory, silencing his detractors in style. His impressive win for the fourth consecutive time and by over three lakh votes will strengthen his case for handing a big responsibility as indicated by Amit Shah while addressing a recent election rally in the state.

However, with Anurag getting a huge lead of over 1.30 lakh votes from the five segments of Hamirpur itself, reflects the voters repentance at having defeated his father and the CM candidate PK Dhumal in 2017 Assembly polls from Sujanpur.

No doubt, Modi factors enhanced his victory margin tremendously as last time in 2014 parliamentary polls he had won by 98,403 votes getting 53.61 per cent of the votes as compared to 41.83 per cent polled by his Congress opponent Rajinder Rana, Anurag this time, roughed it out, biting the dust and braving heat.

Unfortunately for him, Congress candidate Ram Lal Thakur, a sitting MLA from Naina Devi, lost a parliamentary poll for the fourth time. To be fair to Ram Lal, he was pushed into contesting as CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri and former Congress president Sukhwinder Sukhu declined to contest. However, Thakur failed to get a lead from his own Assembly segment of Naina Devi where BJP got a lead of close to 10,000 votes.

Congress remained fragmented in Hamirpur seat with the likes of Bambar Thakur, former MLA from Bilaspur, not seeing eye to eye with Ram Lal Thakur. In the absence of an election strategy and acute fund crunch, Congress suffered humiliating defeat.

Chandel’s entry failed to benefit Cong

Suresh Chandel, a three-time former MP, who also remained BJP state president, joined the Congress before the elections but failed to bring any benefit to the Congress. Ram Lal Thakur had lost the Lok Sabha election to Chandel by a mere 1,600 votes but despite the two joining hands against Anurag, the results were still dismal for the Congress. The BJP got a lead of about 18,000 votes from Bilaspur (Sadar), the home turf of Chandel. This only proves that Modi magic was too tough to overcome for anyone.

4th defeat for Ram Lal

Congress candidate Ram Lal Thakur, MLA from Naina Devi, lost a parliamentary poll for the fourth time. He was pushed into contesting as CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri and former Congress chief Sukhwinder Sukhu declined to contest.