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Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh), May 11 (IANS) BJP MP Anurag Thakur, who has returned to the Lok Sabha from the Hamirpur seat four consecutive times since 2008, is one of the most prominent faces in the fray from Himachal Pradesh that will go to the polls on June 1.
He believes when one works and delivers, there is no question of anti-incumbency, rather there is pro-incumbency.
From this BJP bastion, his father and two-time chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who always plays a crucial role in his son’s campaigns, was thrice elected as an MP.
“We will take our achievements to the people and will make the lotus bloom once again,” Thakur told the media at his ancestral home in Samirpur, some 20 km from Hamirpur town, on Saturday before launching Vijay Sankalp Yatra, a roadshow.
For Thakur, the key issue is development. “We will go amidst the public with the Modi government's achievements, and areas development and seek their blessings once again.”
Before the launch of Vijay Sankalp Yatra, Thakur performed ‘kanya pujan’ and took the blessings of his parents. He also paid obeisance at Awahdevi Temple, his family deity, and sought her blessings for the smooth completion of the Vijay Sankalp campaign.
The historical achievements of his constituency and welfare schemes of the Modi government have touched upon each and every person and reached across each and every household, believe constituents.
“People have made up their mind to once again elect a responsive, transparent and development-oriented government. People from all walks of life have benefited from pro-people schemes of the Modi-led government even in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh,” former legislator Baldev Sharma, who represented Badsar in Hamirpur district, told IANS.
He said in all his stints, Thakur has undertaken initiatives outside the realms of MPLADS to ensure all segments reap benefits, be it the State Olympic Games or promoting sports to ensure youth remains away from the clutches of drugs.
The Congress, which has won this seat only once in the last nine Lok Sabha elections, had pitted former legislator Satpal Singh Raizada against the former BCCI chief, who has served as a Member of Parliament in the 14th, 15th, 16th and the 17th Lok Sabha, wherein he won by a record margin.
As per a post on Thakur’s official website, his constituency has benefited tremendously through his socio-economic development projects across sectors, ranging from railways, roads and national highways connectivity, opening of bank branches, schools and colleges, medical facilities, etc.
He has focused on fulfilling local community needs through the MPLADS fund and constructed community centres, mahila mandal bhavans, yuvak mandal bhawan, sarais, shamshan ghats, solar lighting and playgrounds for his constituents.
Thakur will file nomination papers on May 13 for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on June 1.
In 2019, Anurag Thakur, a sharp strategist and youth icon who had served the party's youth wing as its President for seven years, won the Lok Sabha polls by a record margin of 3.87 lakh votes, defeating his nearest rival from the Congress, Ram Lal Thakur.
Political observers told IANS that whenever Anurag Thakur gets time from his busy political schedule in Delhi, he prefers to devote his time and energy to his constituency.
Also, Thakur's dedication to cricket saw him create modern infrastructure in the small hill state.
He has to his credit for developing the world-class showpiece stadium in Dharamsala, the venue of the ongoing Indian Premium League (IPL) matches.
The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) has also developed the Luhnu ground, which is ringed by the backwaters of the Bhakra Dam in Bilaspur, besides developing the Amtar, Gumma and Una grounds.
At the age of 25, Thakur was elected the HPCA president, the youngest to head a state cricket association affiliated with the BCCI.
Thakur's cricketing journey began at the age of 14 as a player. He had led the Punjab U-16 team that won the Vijay Merchant Trophy.
Himachal Pradesh will go to the polls for four seats -- Shimla (reserved), Hamirpur, Mandi and Kangra -- on June 1.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)
--IANS
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