Happy Wife, Happy Political Life: Why Kamlesh Thakur’s Bypoll Win Is Key For Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

The ‘sukh’ on the face of Himachal Chief Minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was apparent as he celebrated the Dehra win in the bypolls on Saturday. His wife, Kamlesh Thakur, won the Dehra assembly seat, a first for the Congress. In a first, the couple will be in the same assembly.

Occupied by independent MLA Hoshiyar Singh, who switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it had become as prestige fight for the CM. One, to ensure his wife wins from the seat and, also, to ensure that his government remains stable.

The rebellion that was seen a few months ago had weakened Sukhu’s position both vis-a-via the BJP and within the party. Some in his party were gunning for him. But now with two seats won by the Congress and no independent, Sukhu is blissful. His MLA tally has gone up to 40, which is where it had began from when the Congress won the hill state.

THE REBELLION & PRESSURE

February saw Abhishek Manu Singhvi lose to BJP’s Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya sabha polls. Six Congress MLAs and three independents had cross-voted and gone missing. The Congress was under pressure to change Sukhu, but Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had supported him.

Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh and her son Vikramaditya rebelled against Sukhu, in a smart move. If Vikramaditya Singh had won against BJP’s Kangana Ranaut in the Lok Sabha elections, he would have been packed off to Delhi. But that didn’t happen, so now Sukhu’s challenge was to ensure that there was no threat to his sarkar.

Kamlesh Thakur, fielded from the Dehra assembly seat, was projected as the second CM of the state. Hence, his wife’s win gives a lot of peace to him both at home and also in the state.

For now, his government is safe and stable, and the dissidents have been silenced.

Thakur played a major role in keeping her husband strong. While he was fighting against the Virbhadra legacy and asserting himself and coming on his own, his wife gave up her job and ensured that Sukhu was not bogged down by constituency work.

Today, her win, for the second time in Sukhu’s political life, has ensured stability and bliss.