HAMIRPUR: Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency is set to emerge as the epicenter of the epic battle of the ballots to be fought between minus Virbhadra-charged Congress and plus Narendra Modi propelled BJP in Himachal Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.With filing of nominations in HamirpurThe Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Sunday announced its candidates for all four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh.
So far indications are that Hamirpur will witness a no-holds-barred clash between Anurag Thakur of BJP and Satpal Raizada of the Congress. Stung by the revolt of six MLAs during Rajya Sabha elections which led to defeat of Congress candidate Manu Singvi, the Congress seems to be in no mood to leave anything to chance in Himachal Pradesh. The Congress has fielded its four candidates for Lok Sabha polls but also sounded them to start contacting people on the pattern of AAP.
The Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency comprises 17 assembly segments. In 2022 assembly elections the Congress won most segments. The BJP has been retaining the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat since 1997. So the preordained BJP nominee from Hamirpur Parliamentary seat Anurag Thakur was antici[pating a coronation, not a contest. The Congress finds the going tough this time again. The change from the past general elections, traditionally fought between two arch rivals-the BJP and the Congress in the state, the scene has changed dramatically with the emergence of BSP.
No doubt, Hamirpur is regarded as the pocket borough of Prem Kumar Dhumal and he still continues to have influence over the Rajput, Brahmin and especially women voters. Hamirpur parliamentary constituency consists 17 assembly segments. Of these, eight segments have more female voters than male voters. These segments are Dehra, Dharampur, Bhoranj, Sujanpur, Hamirpur, Barsar, Nadaun and Ghumarwin.
According to district returning officer as many as 43, 034 first-time voters in the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency comprising 17 Assembly seats will vote in the Lok Sabha elections on June 1. There are 14, 32, 636 general voters and 23, 455 service voters in the Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency. Of the 14, 32, 636 general voters, 7, 15, 681 are male 7, 16, 940 female and 15 third gender. the number of voters in the 20-29 age group was 2, 61, 433 while there were 18, 172 voters above the age of 85 years.
While talking to voters of various sections of society it is pertinent that math will in favour of Anurag Thakur. The Congress could not prop up any leader of Virbhadra stature who could win votes for the Congress. The six Congress disqualified MLAs, five belong to Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency and all have joined the BJP which is definitely a booster dose to Anurag vote bank. Women voters always vote for BJP in large number. State BSP chief Narayan Azad said his party would expose the "anti-Scheduled Caste stance" of both the BJP and the Congress and would contest the election on the plank of justice to the poor and scheduled castes and tribes. He said that Anil Kumar will contest from the Shimla (Reserve) seat, Hem Raj will be the party candidate from the Hamirpur seat, while Prakash Chand Bhardwaj and Rekha Rani will contest from Mandi and Kangra seats respectively