Prem Kumar Dhumal

2021-09-29T11:27:18Z

77.98.147.132: Undid revision 1032268396 by 2401:4900:43AA:5821:900A:8A8C:FC9C:3AC2 (talk)

{{short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Prem Kumar Dhumal
| office = Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh
| order = 5th
| image = Prem Kumar Dhumal.jpg
| alt = Prem Kumar Dhumal in 2008
| caption = Dhumal in 2008
| constituency = [[Bamsan (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Bamsan]]
| predecessor = [[Virbhadra Singh]]
| succeeding = 
| successor = [[Virbhadra Singh]]
| footnotes =
| signature = Signature_of_Prem_Kumar_Dhumal.svg
| signature_alt =
| constituency2 = [[Bamsan (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Bamsan]]
| predecessor2 = [[Virbhadra Singh]]
| party = [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]
| successor2 = [[Virbhadra Singh]]
| office3 = [[Member of Parliament]], [[Lok Sabha]]
| term_start4 = 1989
| term_end4 = 1996
| term_start3 = 2007
| term_end3 = 2008
| predecessor4 = [[Narain Chand]]
| successor4 = [[Vikram Singh (Himachal Pradesh politician)|Vikram Singh]]
| predecessor3 = [[Suresh Chandel]]
| successor3 = [[Anurag Thakur]]
| constituency3 = [[Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh Lok Sabha constituency)|Hamirpur]]
| constituency4 = [[Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh Lok Sabha constituency)|Hamirpur]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|4|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Shamirpur|Samirpur]],<br/> [[Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh|Hamirpur district]], [[Punjab (British India)|Punjab]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br/>(now in [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[India]])
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| nationality = Indian
| otherparty = 
| spouse = Sheela Dhumal
| partner = 
| relations =
| children = Two sons, Arun and [[Anurag Thakur|Anurag]]
| alma_mater = M.A. from Doaba College, Jalandhar<br />LL.B. from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
| occupation = Politician
| profession = Teacher
| website =
| honorific-prefix =
| honorific-suffix =
| term_start = 30 December 2007
| term_end = 25 December 2012
| term_start2 = 24 March 1998
| term_end2 = 5 March 2003
}}

'''Prem Kumar Dhumal''' (pronounced {{IPA-hi|preːmə kʊmaːrə d̪ʱuːmələ|}}; born 10 April 1944) is an Indian politician and was the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]'s Chief Ministerial candidate for the [[2017 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|2017 Himachal Assembly Election]], in which he lost his seat. As chief minister of Himachal massive phone tapping scandal took place, where phones of over 1100 civilians were illegally recorded. Where permission was only taken for around 170 phones. This was massive breach of privacy. BJP's Shanta Kumar also requested to disclose names of people whose phones were tapped during Dhumal's tenure.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/name-those-whose-phones-were-tapped-during-dhumal-regime-says-shanta-111843|title=phone tapped during dhumal regime|website=tribuneindia.com}}</ref> He previously served twice as [[List of Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh|Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh]], from March 1998 to March 2003 and again from 1 January 2008 to 25 December 2012.

==Early life==
Prem Kumar Dhumal was born on 10 April 1944 in Samirpur village, [[Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh|Hamirpur district]].<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" /> His father's name was Capt Mahant Ram and mother's name Phulmu Devi.<ref name="Dhumal Reference2">{{cite news |title=Members : Lok Sabha |url=http://164.100.47.194/Loksabha/Members/memberbioprofile.aspx?mpsno=4230&lastls=14 |access-date=24 February 2021 |work=164.100.47.194 |publisher=Lok Sabha}}</ref> He has M.A.(Eng), and LL.B. degrees following his education at [[Doaba College]] in [[Jalandhar]] and [[Guru Nanak Dev University]], [[Amritsar]]<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" />.<ref name="hpcm">{{cite web|url=http://hpvidhansabha.nic.in/1.asp |title=Hon'ble Minister, Himachal Pradesh |publisher=Hpvidhansabha.nic.in |access-date=2013-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414095917/http://hpvidhansabha.nic.in/1.asp |archive-date=2012-04-14}}</ref> He became a lecturer at a private college in [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]].<ref name="oneindia">{{cite news |url=http://news.oneindia.in/2007/12/28/dhumal-leads-bjp-to-power-in-hp-1198821772.html |title=Dhumal leads BJP to power in HP |work=News.oneindia.in |date=28 December 2007 |access-date=2013-01-05}}</ref>

Dhumal married Sheela on 23 May 1972,<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" /><ref name="hpcm" /> with whom he has two sons, Arun Thakur and [[Anurag Thakur]]. The latter is also a politician and has been a member of the [[14th Lok Sabha|14th]] and [[15th Lok Sabha]]s, as well as [[Minister of Finance (India)]] in Independent Charge.{{cn|date=July 2020}}

==Political career==
Dhumal became vice-president of [[Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha]] in 1982.<ref name="Dhumal Reference1">{{cite news |title=BJP announces Prem Kumar Dhumal as Himachal CM candidate – Mysuru Today |url=https://citytoday.news/bjp-announces-prem-kumar-dhumal-as-himachal-cm-candidate/ |access-date=24 February 2021 |publisher=Citytoday |date=24 February 2021}}</ref> In 1984, he was selected as the candidate for the [[Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh (Lok Sabha constituency)|Hamirpur parliamentary constituency]] when the sitting [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly]] (MLA), and state stalwart [[Jagdev Chand]], refused to stand.<ref name="Dhumal Reference1" />

Dhumal lost that election, won in [[1989 Indian general election|1989]] and [[1991 Indian general election|1991]],<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" /> and lost the seat to [[Major General Bikram Singh]] in [[1996 Indian general election|1996]].<ref name="oneindia" />

After the sudden death of [[Jagdev Chand]] in 1993,<ref name="Dhumal Reference1" /> Dhumal became active in state politics.<ref name="Dhumal Reference1" /> He was president of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] in [[Himachal Pradesh]] from 1993 and became the state's Chief Minister in [[1998 elections in India|March 1998]]<ref name="Dhumal Reference1" /> after winning the [[Bamsan (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Bamsan]] constituency of the [[Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly]] with a margin of 18,000 votes.

He headed the BJP-[[Himachal Vikas Congress]] coalition government for its full statutory term of five years(1998 to 2003)<ref name="Dhumal Reference1" /> and became Leader of the Opposition when the BJP lost power in 2003<ref name="Dhumal Reference1" />,<ref name="oneindia" /> winning only 16 seats despite support from the NDA Union government.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/2003/03/02/stories/2003030204070800.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030430091051/http://thehindu.com/thehindu/2003/03/02/stories/2003030204070800.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 April 2003 |title=Why Congress won and BJP lost |first=Harish |last=Khare |date=2 March 2003 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=2015-07-27}}</ref>

The period also saw significant infrastructure developments, particularly of roads, and gave rise to Dhumal being called the ''Sadak walla Chief Minister''.<ref name="oneindia" />

Dhumal resigned his seat in the Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly upon winning the Hamirpur constituency in a 2007 by-election for the [[Lok Sabha]].<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" /> The by-election came about because of the expulsion of [[Suresh Chandel]], a BJP [[Member of Parliament]] who had been involved in a cash-for-questions scandal.<ref name="oneindia" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/05hp.htm |title=HP ex-CM Dhumal wins Hamirpur LS bypoll |work=Rediff |date=5 June 2007}}</ref> A further by-election in May 2008 saw Dhumal replaced as MP by his son, Anurag Thakur.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sixteenth Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile |url=http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=4249 |publisher=Lok Sabha |access-date=2015-06-12}}</ref>

Dhumal became [[Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh]] for a second time after being sworn-in on 30 December 2007 after the BJP won that year's [[2007 elections in India|assembly elections]]<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" />.<ref>{{cite news |work=The Hindu |title=Dhumal sworn in Chief Minister |date=31 December 2007 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/dhumal-sworn-in-chief-minister/article1978174.ece |access-date=2015-06-12}}</ref> The BJP lost power in the [[2012 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|2012 elections]].<ref>{{cite news |work=Frontline |volume=29 |issue=26 |date=29 December 2012 |title=Cautious in victory |first=T. K. |last=Rajalakshmi |url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2926/stories/20130111292602600.htm |access-date=2015-06-12}}</ref>

In the state assembly elections of 2017, Dhumal stood as a BJP candidate in the [[Sujanpur (Himachal Pradesh Assembly constituency)|Sujanpur constituency]] and was the party's proposed candidate for the Chief Ministerial office. Even though the BJP gained majority in the elections, Dhumal lost to a candidate from the Indian National Congress hence thwarting his chances to lead the government for the third time in Himachal Pradesh.<ref>{{cite news |title=CM-designate Dhumal loses in Sujanpur, Himachal Pradesh |first=Vikas |last=Pathak |date=19 December 2017 |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/elections/himachal-pradesh-2017/cm-designate-dhumal-loses-in-sujanpur/article21878300.ece |access-date=2018-01-02}}</ref>

==Personal interests==

He has written large number of articles which have been published in different leading newspapers on political, cultural, sports and other national issues from time to time and he was the General Secretary of the college literary society and editor of college magazine.<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" /> His social and cultural interests include helping the poor sections of the society in getting good education free of cost or at cheaper cost and helping the poorer sections of society in getting their daughter's married.<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" /> He has special interest in the field of rural development, employment generation, involvement of youth in constructive work and activities, development of tourism, Hydel power in the state, inspire agriculturists to switch over to horticulture, floriculture and heliculture so that they can increase their income.<ref name="Dhumal Reference2" /> He has interest in reading and listening to good music in free time. He had also been captain of the college volley ball team for three consecutive years and played it up to his university level.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat}}
* Corruption Issue : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100121/himachal.htm#4

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Virbhadra Singh]] |
| title = [[Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh]]
| years = 30 December 2007 - December 2012
| after = [[Virbhadra Singh]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Current Indian Chief Ministers}}
{{Bharatiya Janata Party chief ministers|state=collapsed}}
{{Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhumal, Prem Kumar}}
[[Category:Chief ministers from Bharatiya Janata Party]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:9th Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:10th Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:14th Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:Himachal Pradesh MLAs 2007–2012]]
[[Category:Himachal Pradesh MLAs 2012–2017]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:People from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Opposition in Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Members of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Himachal Pradesh]]

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Prem Kumar Dhumal