A day after securing two crucial byelection victories in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the people of the State for their continued faith in the Congress Government’s policies and programs. The wins have bolstered the Congress party’s strength in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, increasing its seats to 40.
Chief Minister Sukhu did not hold back in his criticism of the BJP, accusing the opposition of conspiring to topple the elected government. He specifically targeted his predecessor and the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Jairam Thakur, who had repeatedly claimed that the BJP would form governments both at the Centre and in the State.
Sukhu dismissed these claims as baseless and emphasized that such aspirations would never materialize. “The people of Himachal Pradesh have rejected ‘Operation Lotus’ and the politics of horse-trading by sending six MLAs home,” he asserted, referring to the BJP's alleged attempts to destabilize his government.
In a pointed message to the BJP, Sukhu urged the Leader of the Opposition and other BJP leaders to learn from this mandate and adopt a more constructive role in the Assembly. He called on them to work for the betterment of Himachal Pradesh and advocate for the state's interests with the Union Government.
The byelection results were particularly notable for the defeats of two Independent legislators who had resigned and switched to the BJP. These losses proved costly for them as Congress candidates emerged victorious in their constituencies. Kamlesh Thakur, the wife of Chief Minister Sukhu, secured a decisive win in the Dehra seat, defeating BJP’s Hoshiyar Singh by a margin of 9,399 votes. Kamlesh Thakur garnered 32,737 votes (57.94 per cent), marking her first electoral victory and contributing to the Congress's momentum.
Hardeep Singh Bawa of the Congress also triumphed in Nalagarh, Solan district, defeating BJP's KL Thakur by a margin of 8,990 votes. Bawa received 34,608 votes, while Thakur managed 25,618 votes. This victory was particularly significant as Thakur had previously defeated Bawa by a substantial margin in the 2022 elections.
The BJP managed a narrow victory in the Hamirpur seat, where its candidate Ashish Sharma defeated Congress's Pushpinder Verma by a margin of 1,571 votes. Sharma secured 27,041 votes, while Verma received 25,470 votes. This narrow win underscored the competitive nature of the byelections.
With these victories, the Congress party’s tally in the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha has increased from 38 to 40 seats. The BJP’s total seats have also risen slightly, from 27 to 28.
Chief Minister took the opportunity to remind the public that development work had been hindered due to the model code of conduct enforced during the elections. However, he assured that with the conclusion of the byelections, the Congress Government would resume making decisions for the state’s benefit. “We are committed to improving the infrastructure and providing world-class facilities for tourists and residents alike,” he stated.
