Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Anurag Thakur cast his vote in Hamirpur on Saturday in the seventh and last phase of Lok Saha elections for the year 2024. Thakur was joined by his father at the polling station. Anurag Thakur’s father was the former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who also exercised his franchise in the family’s stronghold.
Anurag Thakur addressed the media after he cast his vote. He highlighted the enthusiasm of the electorate, “If you see the polling booths, people have a huge enthusiasm. People are celebrating the festival of democracy. Everyone has come out to cast their votes for good government. The workers of the BJP have done a lot of work for the people and I believe that we will get the blessings of the people. I think if Congress is not participating in the exit poll discussions, then it itself says a lot,” Thakur remarked confidently.
Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal seconded his son’s sentiments and urged the voters to participate actively and in large numbers. “This is the great festival of democracy. I appeal to everyone to vote. There should be 100% voting and the right government should be elected. We will win all four seats with a majority,” he stated.
Hamirpur, a recognized bastion of the BJP, has been represented by Anurag Thakur for a very long time and was previously by his father. Thakur, the incumbent Member of Parliament, is contesting against Congress candidate Satpal Raizada. Anurag Thakur is seeking his fifth consecutive term, having first won the seat in a by-election in 2008. His campaign has focused on the developmental projects initiated in Hamirpur during his tenure. In the 2019 elections, Thakur secured a decisive victory over Congress’s Ram Lal Thakur by approximately 400,000 votes.
The Hamirpur constituency is crucial for both the BJP and Congress. Notably, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, representing Nadaun in the Assembly, hails from this region. The political climate in the costituency has been tense, especially after six Congress MLAs rebelled and cross-voted for the BJP in the February 2024 Rajya Sabha election, leading to their disqualification and reducing the Congress’s tally to 34 in the 62-member House.
In addition to the Lok Sabha elections, by-polls are also being held in six assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh, which could significantly impact the Congress government in the state.
The final phase of polling involves 904 candidates, including several high-profile contenders. Among them are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad, Nishikant Dubey, and Ravneet Singh Bittu, as well as Congress leaders Manish Tewari, Charanjit Singh Channi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Misa Bharti.
Polling in the earlier six phases of the Lok Sabha elections took place on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, and May 25. Assembly elections were also conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Odisha is holding simultaneous polls for both the Lok Sabha and its state assembly in the final four phases.
