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Hamirpur, April 25
Congress candidate from Hamirpur Ram Lal Thakur today filed his nomination in the presence of senior Congress leaders Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Suresh Chandel, Mukesh Agnihotri and Rajesh Dharmani.
The event was a virtual show of strength and unity by the Congress. The leaders accompanied him to the Deputy Commissioner’s office as he filed his nomination. Lt Col Dharmender Singh Patial (retd) filed his nomination as a covering candidate. Thakur, sitting MLA from Shri Naina Devi in Bilaspur district, was a Cabinet minister in the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government in the state.
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the BJP had been exposed and it could no longer mislead people with false promises. The Congress was united and all leaders were working for the success of the party candidates.
AICC in charge Rajni Patil said the abusive language being used by BJP leaders was a manifestation of their frustration as they had sensed defeat by seeing the writing on the wall.
She said the BJP was again trying to shift focus from issues to non-issues as it had no explanation for its failed promises, including job creation, waiving of farmer loans and bringing back black money.
Rathore said the Congress would win in all four seats.
Suresh Chandel, former BJP state president and three-time MP from Hamirpur, who recently joined the Congress, said there was a huge difference in preaching and practising of BJP leaders. “I will work to ensure the victory of Ram Lal Thakur and other Congress candidates in the state,” he said.
An experienced campaigner
Ram Lal Thakur was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1985 and was re-elected in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2018. He was the Minister of State for Law, Youth Services and Sports, Ayurveda and Local Self-Government from 1985 to 1990. He was the Health Minister in the Congress government from 1996 to 1998 and Minister for Industries, Forest, IT and Youth Services and Sports from March 2003 to 2007. Son of Paras Ram Thakur of Ghial village, near Namhol, in Bilaspur district, Thakur was born on June 7, 1951.
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