12/24/2017 ‘Mera Jai Chief Minister ban gaya,’ says Jairam Thakur’s mother | The Indian Express

Home India ‘Mera Jai Chief Minister ban gaya,’ says Jairam Thakur’s mother

‘Mera Jai Chief Minister ban

gaya,’ says Jairam
Thakur’s mother
"We never thought ever in our dreams about this. But, the only pain is that
our father — who struggled all his life and earned bread and butter working
as mason will not be with us," Thakur's elder brother said

Written by Ashwani Sharma | Shimla | Updated: December 24, 2017 9:24 pm

RK NAGAR BYPOLL X

TTV Dinakaran defeats AIADMK

Jairam Thakur celebrates along with his supporters on Sunday. (Express photo)
rival by over 40,000 votes

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12/24/2017 ‘Mera Jai Chief Minister ban gaya,’ says Jairam Thakur’s mother | The Indian Express

Who is Jairam Thakur? Amidst celebrations, bursting of crackers and

distribution of sweets at remote Tandi
village, 80-year old Brickoo Devi was
struggling hard to fight tears. “Mera Jai

Jairam Thakur is next (Jairam Thakur) CM ban gaya,” she said with
Himachal Pradesh CM, moist eyes.
swearing-in on Dec 27

After Jairam Thakur was named chief

minister earlier on Sunday, the phone has not
Jairam Thakur is
Himachal Pradesh CM stopped ringing at Devi’s house. Monday
(25th December) is the first death
anniversary of her husband Jhethu Ram and
the timing of Thakur’s elevation couldn’t
have been more significant. The CM designate will, however, have a busy Monday,
sorting out the list of Cabinet ministers and meet the party cadres.

The five-time BJP MLA’s elder brother admitted that the family had never thought
of Thakur becoming the CM. “We are very happy on Jairam (Thakur) becoming CM
of Himachal Pradesh. We never thought ever in our dreams about this. But, the only
pain is that our father — who struggled all his life and earned bread and butter
working as mason will not be with us,” Beeri Singh Thakur said.

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12/24/2017 ‘Mera Jai Chief Minister ban gaya,’ says Jairam Thakur’s mother | The Indian Express

Jairam Thakur’s mother Brickoo Devi. (Express photo)

Thakur, however, said the family was in a sombre mood for the past three days
after TV channels reported that Union Health Minister JP Nadda was tipped to be
the next CM. “We didn’t watch TV on Saturday and slept the last night giving up
 
hope. But Jairam called at 11pm to break the news to the family and celebrations
have been unstoppable since then,” he said.

The journey of Jairam Thakur from a humble village boy to CM is not only inspiring
but also motivating. Thakur has always maintained a low profile but is hard
working and honest. Born at Tandi village in Seraj area of Mandi district on January

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12/24/2017 ‘Mera Jai Chief Minister ban gaya,’ says Jairam Thakur’s mother | The Indian Express

6, 1965, Thakur got his primary education at a village school and then went to
Baghshiar for higher studies.

ALSO READ: Who is Jairam Thakur?

“My childhood was like any other village lad’s. My parents worked in the fields, and
for us (three brothers and two sisters) life was not a luxury due to our father’s
limited earning. I did primary schooling in my village, and went to a school in a
village nearby for middle school,” Thakur said. After matriculation in 1980, he had
to drop out for two years before joining college. “I realised my parents could not
have afforded my college education, so I did not force them to. I used to work with
my parents and helped augment the family income until I managed to collect
money for college,” he said.

Thakur did his masters from Panjab University and during his college days he was
an active member in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), BJP’s student
wing. “I was sent to Jammu for the organisation, and worked there for three or four
years,” he said. This was the time L K Advani took out his Ram Rath Yatra, and
young Thakur became active in the Ram Mandir movement. Later, Thakur also
joined the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) .

In 1998, at 38, Thakur was given the BJP ticket from Chachiot Vidhan Sabha
segment. Defeating Congress veteran Moti Ram Thakur by nearly 6,000 votes,
Jairam made his maiden entry to the House. The BJP formed the government in
Shimla under Prem Kumar Dhumal, with support of the Sukh Ram-led Himachal
Vikas Congress. There has been no looking back since for Thakur, whose popularity
in the area, locals say, lies with his grassroots touch. He has been instrumental in
the development of one of the state’s most backward areas, according to his
constituents.
 
In 2013, the BJP fielded Thakur against Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh for
Mandi constituency — a seat that had fallen vacant on Singh becoming the CM.
Thakur lost the election and fearing that another defeat will jeopardise his career,
he declined in 2014 to contest the Lok Sabha polls. BJP’s Ram Swaroop Sharma won
the seat.

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12/24/2017 ‘Mera Jai Chief Minister ban gaya,’ says Jairam Thakur’s mother | The Indian Express

“Now, I realise that had I contested the seat, I would have been elected to the
Parliament and this opportunity to be the CM may not have come to me. It’s sheer
destiny, nothing else,” he said.

Ahead of the 2007 assembly polls, Thakur was made the BJP president and the party
had stormed back to power. Later, he was inducted in the Cabinet as minister of
rural development and panchayati raj. His rise in politics has been phenomenal,
without any “godfather” and his “gentle” and non-controversial image has finally
been rewarded. The RSS too backed him for the post. Moreover, this is the first time
a CM of the state has come from the Mandi district as earlier efforts by late Karam
Singh, Pt Sukh Ram and Kaul Singh Thakur (all Congress leaders) did not pay off.

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