Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur wins Dehra bypoll

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, July 13

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur, who was the Congress candidate from Dehra, won the Assembly byelection today. She secured 32,737 votes and defeated BJP candidate Hoshiyar Singh by an impressive margin of 9,399 votes.

Hoshiyar Singh, who had been two-time Independent MLA, had secured 22,997 votes in the 2022 Assembly elections. However, his votes increased marginally to 23,338 votes this time. An inference is being drawn from the bypoll result that BJP workers in the Dehra constituency did not support Hoshiyar Singh. This became evident when some BJP supporters raised slogans “Anurag Thakur Zindabad and CM Sukhu Zindabad” while celebrating Kamlesh’s victory.

Hoshiyar Singh was leading by a slender margin of about 800 votes till the fourth round of counting. However, after the fifth round, his lead reduced to just 37 votes while Kamlesh kept consolidating her lead and ultimately won the byelection.

Sources said that Hoshiyar Singh managed to get a lead from the Haripur Guler area of Dehra, which was his core voter base as the Independent candidate. However, in this byelection, his lead from Haripur Guler reduced to just about 800 votes as compared to the 2022 Assembly elections when he had secured a lead of over 4,000 votes from the area.

Kamlesh gained considerably in areas around Dehra town and Dhaliara. In each round of counting in these areas, she gained considerably and won the byelection by a margin of 9,399 votes. The sources said that villages around Dhaliara were the strong base of the BJP but the party supporters in the area did not vote for Hoshiyar Singh.

Kamlesh’s victory has raised the hopes of the residents of Dehra, which is one of the most backward areas of Kangra district. The Chief Minister had campaigned extensively for his wife in the constituency for about a month. He had promised many development projects for the constituency, including the establishment of the offices of Superintendent of Police (SP) and Superintending Engineer, PWD.

Sukhu had also promised the voters that he would change rules to help the Pong Dam oustees, who were rendered homeless after their land was acquired for the construction of the dam in 1960’s.

Meanwhile, Hoshiyar Singh blamed his defeat on the misuse of the government machinery by the Congress. He alleged that the government threatened government employees, private traders and shopkeepers to win the byelection.

Dhaliara villagers didn’t support BJP

• Hoshiyar Singh managed to get lead from the Haripur Guler area of Dehra, which was his core voter base as the Independent candidate
• Hoshiyar Singh’s lead from Haripur Guler reduced to just about 800 votes in this byelection as compared to the 2022 Assembly elections when he had secured a lead of over 4,000 votes from the area
• Kamlesh gained considerably in areas around Dehra town and Dhaliara
• In each round of counting in these areas, she consolidated her position and won the byelection
• Villages around Dhaliara were the strong base of the BJP but the party supporters in the area did not vote for Hoshiyar Singh