Kamlesh Thakur, the wife of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, achieved a remarkable electoral debut by winning the Dehra bypoll against BJP candidate Hoshyar Singh with a margin of over 9,000 votes. This victory is particularly significant as the Congress had never secured a win in Dehra since it was established in 2010. Hoshyar Singh had previously won the seat as an Independent in 2017 and retained it in the subsequent election.
After her victory, Kamlesh Thakur expressed her gratitude to party leaders and workers for their relentless efforts, attributing her success to the support of the people of Dehra. She stated, "The party leaders and workers worked day and night for this day... I will give all credit to the people who stood by the party throughout... I am proud of the people of Dehra."
Kamlesh Thakur was born on April 2, 1970, in Chamnal, Nalsuha panchayat. She completed her schooling in Dehra and earned a Master's degree in political science from Government College, Chandigarh, in 1981. She married Sukhvinder Sukhu on June 11, 1998, and they have two daughters. Kamlesh, who comes from a soldier's family, was a school teacher before her marriage and has been a member of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) for the past two decades. In her election affidavit, she declared assets worth Rs 9.14 crore.
Kamlesh Thakur's win is a major boost for the Congress, especially since Dehra, with an electorate of 85,263, is part of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, a BJP stronghold represented by five-time MP Anurag Thakur. During her campaign, Kamlesh Thakur promised to focus on creating local employment opportunities for the youth and ensuring continuous development in the area.
