As Sukhu’s wife hits campaign trail, Himachal Congress divisions come bubbling up

Even before Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur could reach Dehra in Kangra district on Thursday to launch her campaign for the July 10 Assembly bypoll, problems had flared up for her in this high-stakes battlefield.

State Congress treasurer Dr Rajesh Sharma, whose name Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Pratibha Singh had recommended for the ticket, vented his anger at Sukhu at a public meeting in Dehra on Wednesday, accusing him of mental harassment. “If anything happens to me, my wife or children, then CM Sukhu will be responsible,” Sharma said. Soon afterwards, the Congress leader suffered what was described as a panic attack and was admitted to a hospital in Kangra.

A day before, on Tuesday, Thakur’s candidature was announced even though Sukhu said more than once that he was not keen on the ticket for his wife. Although Thakur has been an active member of the HPCC for around two decades, she will be making her electoral debut on July 19. In an attempt to end the conflict, she said at her first election rally on Thursday, “Dr Sharma is like a brother. We will soon settle our differences mutually.”

Thakur told reporters that there would be no lack of development in Dehra and added that “every issue in the constituency will be resolved with the help of the the CM”. She said Dehra was her maternal home and no daughter would want her maternal home to remain underdeveloped.

The constituency fell vacant after Independent MLA Hoshyar Singh Chambyal who won in 2022 resigned to join the BJP. He is the BJP’s candidate this time. The Congress candidate accused Chambyal of “betraying the people of Dehra” by siding with the BJP and thrusting this bypoll on the people of the