Hamirpur adds cricketing flavour to poll propaganda

It's a sticky wicket out here, with players raking up cricketing issues and bowling googlies to get each other out, but he who will play with a straight bat may well be the voters' man of the match on May 13. 

BJP candidate from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur, who is also the President of the HP State Cricket Association (HPSCA) and a member of the BCCI, is taking on BJP rebel and Congress contender Narinder Thakur.   

But the build-up to the elections has witnessed campaigning no less exciting than any T20 match, as while the BJP contender is taking credit for his contribution to cricket here, the Congress is trying to puncture his claims. 

Anurag, the son of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and a former Ranji player, is blaming the Congress-led UPA for shifting the venue of IPL games to South Africa. 

He alleged that Himachal Pradesh, which was slated to hold four IPL matches at Dharamsala, lost a business of about Rs 300 crore due to the shifting of the game venue.   

On the other hand, Narinder supporters say the BJP candidate's Ranji career was a flop as he had played just one match and was out for a duck. 

The 34-year-old BJP candidate, who is seeking re-election from his home constituency, boasts of building a stadium at Dharamsala and sending three players to IPL championship. 

However, political observers here say he who can address local issues may steal the show.