hamirpur-bjp-s-stronghold-in-hp-since-26-years

Even though the BJP has swept the Lok Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh for the third consecutive time since 2014, the Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency has proved to be the strongest hold of the BJP since 1998.

Union minister, Anurag Thakur, who got the Lok Sabha ticket first time in 2008 when his father, former Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, vacated the seat to become CM of Himachal for the second time, has won his fifth Lok Sabha election in a row this time.

He defeated former Congress MLA, Satpal Raizada with a margin of around 1.82 lakh. He had won the 2019 Lok Sabha poll against Ram Lal Thakur of Congress by 3.99 lakh votes. His lead margin in 2014 against Congress candidate, Rajinder Rana was over 98000. He had won the 2009 Lok Sabha election by 72, 732 votes from Congress.

In 1998, 1999 and 2004, Suresh Chandel of BJP won the Lok Sabha poll in Hamirpur. When he was disqualified following a cash-for-query scam and the by-poll was held, the opposition leader in HP, Prem Kumar Dhumal won the election.

Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, which includes Hamirpur (home district of Anurag Thakur), Una and Bilaspur districts and two Assembly segments of Kangra district, had 72% voter turnout. The women voter turnout was the highest on this Lok Sabha seat, with 538886 women voters exercising their franchise compared to 486338 men.

The total number of voters in Himachal Pradesh is 5645579, which includes 2848326 males and 2797218 females. Three Lok Sabha constituencies in Himachal Pradesh- Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi- registered more turnouts of women voters in the elections held on June 1. The total polling per cent in Lok Sabha polls in Himachal was 71%.

“I thank the voters in my constituency for giving me such a positive response and electing me for the fifth time. Himachal Pradesh has given four by four seats to the Modi government for the third time consecutively, which is historic,” said Anurag Thakur after his victory.

Thakur has built his rapport with the people in his constituency quite well over the years and has launched several schemes for the youth and welfare of people in Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency.