In a major jolt to the Congress, the party’s campaign in-charge from Hamirpur Narendra Thakur on Monday joined the BJP in the presence of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and other senior party leaders.
Narendra Thakur is a BJP rebel who had contested the 2009 lok Sabha elections against sitting MP Anurag Thakur from Hamirpur seat on Congress ticket and had managed to get over 3 lakh votes giving a tough fight. Home coming of Narendra Thakur is considered as a major boost to the prospects of Anurag Thakur who is contesting the seat against Congress candidate and another BJP rebel Rajendra Rana. Narendra Thakur is brother in-law of former BJP MlA Urmill Thakur and son of former minister and strong BJP leader from Hamirpur, Thakur Jagdev Chand.
Narendra Thakur had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Hamirpur on Congress ticket and his home coming was largely facilitated by his sister in-law to consolidate the legacy of his father. Along with Narendra Thakur, Virendra Thakur, the son of former legislator from Bumsan constituency Karm Singh and Vikram Thakur, general secretary of block Congress also joined the party.
Notably, recently Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had declared Narendra Thakur as campaign in-charge of Congress candidate Rajendra Rana for Hamirpur parliamentary seat. According to sources, some more Congress leaders are likely to join the BJP in the coming days.
Joining of Narendra Thakur with BJP is considered as a major jolt to the Congress as he has been often projected as a big leader of party from Hamirpur district in State politics as he enjoyed considerable voter base in the district, which is otherwise considered as BJP bastion.
Congress has failed to win the Hamirpur parliamentary seat for the last 16 years and this time, the ruling party has been making all out efforts to wrest back the seat from BJP.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the new entrant to the state politics has fielded Kamal Kanta Batra, mother of Kargil hero captain Vikram Batra from the seat which has considerable numbers of ex-servicemen and servicemen population.
It is to be noted that large number of leaders from newly floated Himachal lokhit Party, Congress party and independents are making beeline to join the BJP.