Shimla (PTI): BJP rebel K L Thakur, who contested as an Independent, won from Nalagarh assembly seat in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, according to the Election Commission.

Thakur defeated his nearest Congress rival Hardeep Singh Bawa by a margin of 13,264 votes.

Thakur had won the 2012 state polls on a BJP ticket but lost in 2017 and was denied a ticket by the party this time.

The BJP chose Lakhwinder Singh Rana, a two-term Congress MLA, who jumped ship ahead of the elections.

All the three Independent candidates in the fray -- Thakur, Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra and Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur -- were BJP rebels.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bhopal (PTI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has hit out at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, claiming "fake" Gandhis were using their surname for votes.

Yadav was speaking at a public rally in Myana town of Madhya Pradesh's Guna Lok Sabha seat on Saturday.

During a campaign speech in Rajasthan on April 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Congress plans to give people's hard-earned money and valuables to "infiltrators" and "those who have more children'' -- alluding to Muslims -- and would steal the "gold of mothers and sisters" if voted to power.

Priyanka Gandhi later lashed out at Modi over his "gold and mangalsutra" remarks, saying her mother Sonia Gandhi sacrificed her ‘mangalsutra’ for the country.

Taking a dig at the Congress general secretary, Yadav said former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's soul must be "shedding tears" over a (great) granddaughter born in the family who does not even wear 'mangalsutra'.

Yadav also targeted Gandhis over the use of their surname.

"In our case, as soon as the daughter gets married, she is given the surname which is applicable there (at in-laws' house)," he said.

But these "vote-hungry people" are forgetting their surname for the sake of votes and using Gandhi surname even today, the CM said.

"Priyanka also became Gandhi. Where did the Gandhi surname come from? Where would be the family members of the real Gandhi? These fake Gandhis are taking votes in the name of Gandhi," he claimed.

Reacting to Yadav's statement, KK Mishra, senior Congress leader and media advisor to MP party president Jitu Patwari, claimed the CM said Priyanka Gandhi "got married in another religion".

"Is it unconstitutional or a crime? Yadav also has an objection as to why Priyanka ji uses her surname as Gandhi after marriage. Chief Minister, please see her X account, Vadra is also written in front of the surname," he said.