Dehra – Political tension escalates in Dehra as Congress leader Dr. Rajesh Sharma, overlooked for the party’s ticket in the upcoming assembly by-election, hints at contesting as an independent. The announcement came on Wednesday, a day after the Congress nominated Kamlesh Thakur, wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, as its candidate for the Dehra constituency.
Rajesh Sharma, who previously contested the 2022 assembly elections from Dehra on a Congress ticket but was unsuccessful, expressed his disappointment in a heartfelt address to his supporters. “I do not crave for the chair, but I cannot betray the people of Dehra,” Sharma declared, his voice heavy with emotion. The meeting took an alarming turn when Sharma’s health suddenly deteriorated, necessitating his admission to Civil Hospital Dehra, where a team of doctors is closely monitoring his condition.
The decision to field Kamlesh Thakur has stirred controversy within the Congress ranks. If Sharma decides to run as an independent, the party could face significant challenges in the by-elections, scheduled for July 10.
The state BJP seized the opportunity to criticize the Congress leadership. State BJP president Rajiv Bindal derided the Chief Minister’s administration, calling it a “Pati-Patni ki Sarkar” (husband-wife government). “This government is not even for the Congress; it is only and only for its family and friends,” Bindal remarked. He questioned the lack of development in Dehra, despite the Chief Minister’s influence, pointing out that no major projects had materialized in the region.
Adding to the BJP’s criticism, state general secretary Bihari Lal Sharma accused Chief Minister Sukhu of inconsistency. “Sukhu had earlier said he did not want a ticket, but now his wife is contesting from Dehra,” he stated. “What the CM says, he never does and what he never says, he does.”
