Anurag is MoS: Rise of young leader in Himachal
Shimla: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning all four seats in Himachal Pradesh, is undoubtedly a result of Modi magic but what's icing on the cake is the rise of new leader Anurag Thakur,44, who has joined Modi 2.0 cabinet as Minister of State (Finance).
Four-time MP from Hamirpur – a seat which his father Prem Kumar Dhumal had also represented thrice, Anurag Thakur broke all records to win the seat by nearly four
lakhs votes defeating Congress's five-time MLA Ram Lal Thakur.
His induction as a minister in the central cabinet is added a new dimension to the state's power equations, which had titled towards younger leadership in the state, where party veterans viz Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, both former Chief Minister had built the strong BJP foundations.
An obvious signal about Anurag's possible induction in the next cabinet was dropped by BJP national president Amit Shah much in advance when he addressed a poll rally at Bilaspur – which is part of Anurag's constituency.
"If you elect Anurag Thakur with a record margin, I promise you to reciprocate this gesture by making him a big leader," he declared.
"Shah kept his word," says Shyam Angre, a Bilaspur resident.
As Anurag 's victory comes in the backdrop of Dhumal's loss in the 2017 assembly elections jeopardising his Chief Ministerial chance, the LS results are very significant, both for Dhumal family, and the BJP also.
After Dhumal lost his assembly poll in 2017, the power equations had shifted away from Hamirpur -- Dhumal's strong bastion.
The BJP chose five-time MLA Jai Ram Thakur, 55 to be the Chief Minister bringing a generational change in the BJP's state leadership. At that time, union health minister J P Nadda was also in close race for the post but the BJP
high command (and RSS also) referred Jai Ram Thakur over Nadda.
Now, when Modi-Shah undertook an exercise to give representation to Himachal Pradesh, out of four Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha member (J P Nadda ), Anurag Thakur turned-out to be the hot favourite as being a young and dynamic leader, who has risen from the ranks of the BJYM --BJP's youth wing.
But, Anurag Thakur's rise on the BJP's horizon is not a coincidence. The man, who is credited with building a world-class cricket stadium, and hosting of national and international matches at Dharamshala, has also passed through political upheavals and blows.
He was unceremoniously removed from the post of BCCI Chairman by the
Supreme Court for not implementing Lodha Committee reforms, and also charges of "perjury".
Back home, Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government filed almost a dozen vigilance cases against him, mainly relating to his action as Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) president. Anurag fought single-handedly, both in the courts and politically. Finally, not a single case withstood judicial scrutiny.
While his victory in Hamirpur has proved that Dhumal-Anurag duo is in firm grip of a political legacy, his induction marks a new beginning or a new balancing act of Modi-Shah combine after Jai Ram Thakur's making as Chief Minister.
