SHIMLA: Congress on Tuesday named Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur as its choice for Dehra assembly bypoll against BJP‘s Hoshyar Singh.
A notification issued by AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had approved the candidature of Kamlesh from Dehra after she reportedly emerged as the top contender in two surveys by the party.
BJP had bagged the seat in 2012, but independent candidate Hoshyar Singh emerged victorious in 2017 and 2022 assembly polls. This time, he is contesting on a BJP ticket.
Born on April 2, 1970, in Nalsooha village under Dehra subdivision of Kangra district, Kamlesh has been active in politics, especially in Nadaun, represented by Sukhu. She has a master’s in political science from Government College Chandigarh. She has been active in social service, particularly on women empowerment. Over the past 20 years, she has been an active member of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, maintaining strong ties with party workers. If Kamlesh wins the by-election, it will be the first time in Himachal Pradesh that a husband and wife will be members of the assembly. Earlier, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and Vikramaditya Singh formed a father-son team in the assembly.
The bypolls were necessitated after Hoshyar Singh, along with two other independent MLAs, resigned in March and joined BJP.
A notification issued by AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had approved the candidature of Kamlesh from Dehra after she reportedly emerged as the top contender in two surveys by the party.
BJP had bagged the seat in 2012, but independent candidate Hoshyar Singh emerged victorious in 2017 and 2022 assembly polls. This time, he is contesting on a BJP ticket.
Born on April 2, 1970, in Nalsooha village under Dehra subdivision of Kangra district, Kamlesh has been active in politics, especially in Nadaun, represented by Sukhu. She has a master’s in political science from Government College Chandigarh. She has been active in social service, particularly on women empowerment. Over the past 20 years, she has been an active member of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, maintaining strong ties with party workers. If Kamlesh wins the by-election, it will be the first time in Himachal Pradesh that a husband and wife will be members of the assembly. Earlier, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and Vikramaditya Singh formed a father-son team in the assembly.
The bypolls were necessitated after Hoshyar Singh, along with two other independent MLAs, resigned in March and joined BJP.