Champa Thakur Appointed as Mandi District Congress President Amid Electoral Challenges

Champa Thakur Takes the Helm of Mandi District Congress

Munish Sood
MANDI:
On Friday, the Congress party appointed Champa Thakur as the new president of the Mandi District Congress Committee, tasking her with the crucial role of fortifying the party's structure in one of Himachal Pradesh's key political areas.

Champa Thakur, a well-known figure within the Congress in Mandi, is the daughter of the esteemed Thakur Kaul Singh, a former Health Minister and an eight-time MLA from the Drang Assembly constituency. Her promotion comes at a pivotal moment as the party aims to solidify its organization ahead of forthcoming elections.

She has previously run for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly from the Mandi Sadar constituency in both 2017 and 2022, facing defeats against BJP's Anil Sharma. Despite these setbacks, she has remained actively involved in local politics and party activities.

Champa has also held the position of chairperson of the Mandi zila parishad but was ousted in 2018 after a no-confidence vote when the BJP took control of the state. Since then, she has continued to play significant roles within the Congress, being appointed as the party's general secretary in May 2024.

Her election affidavit from the 2022 Assembly elections highlights her diverse professional background, which includes roles as a zila parishad member, businesswoman, and agriculturist.

Political analysts view her appointment as a strategic move by Congress leadership to restore the party's organizational strength in Mandi, a district that has experienced internal divisions in recent years. Historically, Mandi has been a Congress stronghold, but recent elections have seen the BJP establish a formidable presence.

As the District Congress president, Champa Thakur is anticipated to work on unifying various factions within the party, motivating grassroots supporters, and countering the BJP's organizational efforts in the area. Her leadership will be under scrutiny, especially with local body elections and future Assembly and parliamentary contests on the horizon.

Her new role carries the weighty expectation of translating her political experience and organizational skills into real electoral success for the Congress in the Mandi district.