HP polls: Days after his father quit electoral politics, Anurag gets emotional during rally
Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Singh Thakur was addressing the nomination rally of Captain (retd) Ranjeet Singh, BJP’s nominee from Sujanpur, the assembly segment from where Dhumal suffered a shocking defeat in the 2017 assembly elections
Days after former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal exited the electoral politics, his son and Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Friday, got emotional in public and said he understands the emotions of the supporters for his father, but in the end, all are party’s dedicated workers.
Thakur was addressing the nomination rally of Captain (retd) Ranjeet Singh, BJP’s nominee from Sujanpur, the assembly segment from where Dhumal suffered a shocking defeat in the 2017 assembly elections at the hands of protégé-turned-foe Rajinder Singh Rana.
“You made me emotional yesterday. All were very emotional. I understand your feelings. The way you have worked for the last five years is not hidden from anyone,” Thakur said.
The leader with whom you worked right from his BJYM days, that emotion is very different and is like that we are a family, he said as emotional supporters raised “Dhumal Hi Sarkar Hai” slogans.
Thakur said that he was lucky to be born in Hamirpur and contest the Lok Sabha election, where there were such dedicated people.
“You elected me not once but four times. You made Dhumalji chief minister,” he said.
“However, Dhumalji was not angered when he lost the 2017 elections. He did not sit at home but worked among the people for five years,” said Thakur wiping his tears while many supporters were seen getting sentimental.
Dhumal, a former two-term chief minister, on October 18 left his supporters and followers stunned as he announced that he will not contest the assembly elections, a day after attending the state election committee meeting. One reason for his stepping back may be him having crossed the age limit of 75 years fixed by the BJP for its leaders to retire from electoral politics.
Earlier, it was expected that BJP will hand over to him the poll ticket from Sujanpur, where he was actively engaged since 2017, to bolster its “Mission Repeat” campaign.
After his defeat in 2017, the BJP chose Jai Ram Thakur as the chief ministerial face and the new regime ignored the stalwart and his loyalist right from day one.
He was given a minimal role in the 2021 municipal corporation elections and assembly by-elections and hasn’t been campaigning since calling it quits.
The former chief minister Dhumal’s supporters, however, feel that BJP ignoring the veteran leader would affect the party’s prospects as he still wields an influence across the state and ‘Mission Repeat’ would not be possible without him.
