In battle between two stalwarts’ kids, Sukh Ram at centre stage
MAN DI: Famous as “Chotti K as hi” due to the presence of a large number of temples, the Mandi Sad ar constituency is bracing for a high-voltage contest between the children of two old rivals and political stalwarts of Himachal Pradesh—Sukh Ramand Thakur Kaul Singh.
SukhRam’ s son A nil S harm a, who had won the seat on a Congress ticket in 2012, and is now contesting on a BJP ticket after joining the party a few days ago. Kaul Singh’s daughter Champa Th ak uri st he Congress candidate from the seat. Ever since 1963 when Sukh Ram won from the constituency for the first time, Mandi Sadar has remained a citadel of Sukh Ram and his family, except from the period between 1990 and1992 when B JP candidate Kan hi ya L al won these at, but the B JP government could run for only two and half years then.
Even after Sukh Ram parted ways with the Congress in 1998, the seat was never won by any other person outside the family.
A former Union telecom minister, Sukh Ram, who is widely knownas‘ Pandit Ji’, enjoys popularity despite being a convict in a corruption case. So much so that his son Anil Sharma, a Panchayati Raj minister in the Virb had ra government till he joined BJP, is con testing the election on his father’s name. Such is the clout of Sukh Ram in the constituency that even at the age of 92, he holds meetings with party workers and is the key strategist for his son’s campaign.
Anil Sharma too has made his father Sukh Ram’s “insult” by chief minister Virbhadra Singhas them a in poll plank rather than listing the development activities carried out by him as an MLA. Elaborating on the ‘ insult’, Sukh Ramsays, “When Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi cameto Mandi to address a rally a few days before the model code of conduct came into force, chief minister Virbhadra Singh insulted me and did not allow me to share the di as with him. Myson was also not involved properlyi n preparations for the rally. I am involved in these polls because it’s a fight formy self-respect. Virbhadra has not just insulted me, he has insulted the people of my constituency as well, who love me more than my family.” His son is also seeking votes for the pride of his father. “Even if the Congress had made me their candidate, Vi rb had ra and his loyalists had already planned to field Champ a Th a ku ra san Independent candidate to ensure my defeat. Since Virbhadra has an old enmity with my father, he is planning is to ensure my defeat ,” said Anil Sharma.
On the other side, Champa, a z ila paris had chief for Man di district and a firebrand woman leader, is harping on her connect with the people of the constituency, citing that as she has represented two different zila paris had segments in the constituency.
The constituency has 36 villages. “This constituency is not a Sukh Ram stronghold. He and his family won this seat many times because it’ s a Congress bastion ,” said Champ a, whose has adopted an aggressive campaigning style.
She has made Anil Sharma’s sudden switch to B JP as the main poll issue, “I have carried out a few developmental activities, which should have been done by the representatives of people. However, the biggest thing is loyalty, Sukh Ramjiandh is son have been shifting their loyal ties time and again;, and now again they have deserted the Congress.
The party is like a mother for any political leader; those who can cheat a mother, they can cheat you anytime,” said Champa, while addressing Nukkad meeting at village Kotli.
Her father, Kaul Sing his as even-time MLA from the nearby Darang segment.
As a Congress MLA, Anil Sharma was the main target of the B JP in Man di Sad ar segment and the party had also listed him as a tainted minister in the party’ s charge sheet submitted to the governor last year.
His sudden switch to the BJP has disappointed the grassroots workers in the segment.
SUKHRAM’S SON ANIL SHARMA PITTED AGAINST KAUL SINGH’S DAUGHTER CHAMPA THAKUR