BJP president Amit Shah promises bigger responsibility for Anurag Thakur

SHIMLA: While campaigning for BJP in Himachal Pradesh in 2017 assembly election, BJP's national president Amit Shah had appealed to the voters to ensure the victory of Jai Ram Thakur by announcing to give him bigger responsibility on winning the election. And on Sunday, Amit Shah again made similar announcement for BJP candidate from Hamirpur seat, Anurag Thakur. While addressing election rally in Bilaspur, Amit Shah said that on winning the election Anurag Thakur would be given bigger responsibility.
Amit Shah started his address by naming Paramvir Chakra awardee and Kargil war hero Sanjay Kumar besides late Tilak Raj martyr of Pulwama terror attack. He said that when temperature rises in the country, Congress president leaves for holidays on foreign shores and it is surprising that even his mother remains ignorant about his destination. He also said that if Pakistan will fire "goli" then it will be retaliated by "gola" from this side.
While addressing the gathering at Luhnu ground of Bilaspur, he said "Anurag Thakur ko ek bada neta banana hai. Ek baar inhe jitwa do..inhe badi jimmedari di jayegi. Inhone Pradesh me hi nahi, sabhi rajyon aur desh bhar me kaam kiya hai" (We have to make Anurag Thakur a big leader. Make him win the election once, he will be given bigger responsibility because he has not only worked in the state but also across the country).
Statement of Amit Shah has left people guessing as in 2017 assembly election he had made similar announcement about Jai Ram Thakur while campaigning for him in Seraj assembly constituency and later Jai Ram Thakur became chief minister of state after BJP's chief ministerial face Prem Kumar Dhumal lost from Sujanpur assembly seat.
Amit Shah's statement has come at a time, when Congress is claiming to give tough completion to Anurag Thakur this time and has fielded Nania Devi MLA Ram Lal Thakur against him this time.
While Anurag Thakur has won three consecutive elections from Hamirpur parliamentary seat, Ram Lal Thakur has lost three elections from here. In 1999, Ram Lal Thakur had contested for the first time from Hamirpur parliamentary seat against BJP's Suresh Chandel and had lost by a margin of around 1,29,247 votes. Next time he contested in 2004 against BJP's Suresh Chandel and lost by a margin of just 1615 votes while in 2007, he had contested against BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal and lost by a margin of 80059 votes.
Interestingly, this time Suresh Chandel who had won three elections from Hamirpur parliamentary seat on BJP ticket has joined Congress leaving the BJP cadre slightly worried. His entry into Congress is being seen as a major setback to BJP. He was also a former state president of the BJP. Chandel was seeking BJP ticket from Hamirpur parliamentary seat but was denied. Congress is set to gain with his entry, as he has been a Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur in 1998, 1999 and 2004.