Former Kullu BJP MLA Chander Sen Thakur dies of Covid-19

A Shanta Kumar loyalist, the 76-year-old was the founder district president of the BJP in Kullu

Chander Sen Thakur, 76, a former BJP legislator from Kullu, died due to Covid-19, his family said on Wednesday.

Chander Sen Thakur had been ailing for the past two months but tested positive for Covid-19 three days ago. He was in home isolation and died at his native village of Haripur Dashaal. (HT file photo)

Chander Sen had been ailing for the past two months but tested positive for Covid-19 three days ago. He was in home isolation and died at his native village of Haripur Dashaal.

Thakur began his political career as a student activist and was one of the founder members the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad at Government College, Mandi. He remained a Haripur Dashaal panchayat pradhan for five terms. He was elected to the Vidhan Sabha on a BJP ticket from Kullu in 1998 and remained a staunch supporter of former chief minister Shanta Kumar.

Mourning his death, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur described Chander Sen as a dedicated soldier of the party.

State BJP vice-president Ram Singh recalled Chander Sen’s contribution to social service through student politics after which he became an RSS and Jana Sangh activist. He was jailed during the Emergency.

Chander Sen was the founder Kullu district president of the BJP in 1977. He remained state general secretary of the party and vice-chairman of the Horticulture Produce Marketing Committee in 1998 when Prem Kumar Dhumal was the chief minister. He vociferously raised issues related to fruit growers in the state assembly.