With the cabinet expansion in the state on the cards, people of Hamirpur district, once known as the power center of the state politics, were hopeful that one of the two legislators from the district will find a place in the new cabinet.
In the last vidhan sabha elections, Narendra Thakur and Kamlesh Kumari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won Hamirpur and Bhoranj reserved seats, respectively. Thakur is the son of a former minister and late Jagdev Chand Thakur while Kumari is the wife of a district Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader, who wields much hold in the parent organisation.
She is also close to the former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal as major part of old Bamsan constituency now falls in Bhoranj segment Dhumal’s family commands great hold in the region.
Narendra Thakur, a two-time MLA, is Rajput while Kamlesh Kumari, who has won the seat for the first time, belongs to Scheduled Caste. Both these communities have sizable numbers of voters in the district.
People of the district were upset over denial of a cabinet berth to the district and were hopeful that the district will get its due share in the expansion.
{{/usCountry}}People of the district were upset over denial of a cabinet berth to the district and were hopeful that the district will get its due share in the expansion.
{{/usCountry}}Even Union minister of state for finance and corporate affairs Anurag Thakur during his public meetings in various parts of the district had expressed anguish over certain projects hanging fire.
Congress had also alleged that since no one represents Hamirpur in the state cabinet, the development in region has taken a back seat.
Anil Soni, a local councillor and president of Hamirpur Beopar Mandal was of the view that one of the two legislators should be accommodated in the cabinet to give a fillip to development activities in the district.
ID Sharma, a retired army man and vice-pradhan of Kalauhan gram panchayat of the district, was sore that the district was denied representation so for. He wants Hamirpur to get its due share immediately by finding representation in the state cabinet.
Sushil Sharma, advocate and president of Hamirpur Upbhokta Sangathan, said that the region is centrally located and is a potential district for the BJP from the political point view hence it should be adjusted in the cabinet.
Highly placed sources in the BJP told that a number of party leaders and workers from the district have met the top national level party leaders and apprised them of the latest political situation in the state and in the district. They have reportedly demanded during their meeting with BJP president, JP Nadda, to include either Narendra Thakur or Kamlesh Kumari in the cabinet.
Sources said that Nadda has assured the leaders and stated that he would take up the matter with chief minister.