Shimla: In a state where power swings between the Congress and BJP every five years, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu is set to make a bold political statement — by taking his government’s three-year celebrations straight into Mandi, the stronghold of BJP heavyweight and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP lost power to the Congress, bringing a four-time MLA to the Chief Ministerial position. Yet, Jairam Thakur proved his political dominance in Mandi—his home district, where the party won nine or 10 assembly seats.
It fared badly in districts like Hamirpur—the fortress of Dhumals (former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and his son Anurag Thakur, former union minister)—and also in the state’s largest district, Kangra.
Despite the fact that the state elections are still two years away, Sukhu appears to have made the decision to bolster his political arsenal and direct the battle directly to Mandi.
Hit hard by the natural calamities and disasters, Mandi is struggling to come to terms with the tragedies of unimaginable proportions. The area worst hit also happens to be Seraj, the constituency of Jairam Thakur. Last week, Sukhu chose Mandi to hold a show of strength to distribute cash relief to the disaster-hit families, and he targeted not only Jairam Thakur but all nine BJP MLAs to strike deep into his political enemy’s bastion, turning the celebration into a political message. The very next day, on his return to Shimla, the Chief Minister declared that this year’s venue for observing the third anniversary of the Himachal government on December 11 will be Mandi.
The Chief Minister chaired a level meeting with officials to give an outline for preparations for the state-level event. A committee comprising ministers Jagat Singh Negi and Rajesh Dharmani and MLA of Dharampur constituency Chander Shekhar was announced to finalise the exact venue for the event.