Himachal Pradesh HC Directs Boxing Federation Of India To Allow BJP MP Anurag Thakur To Participate In Its Upcoming Polls

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Thursday effectively stayed Former sports minister and five-time BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Singh Thakur's disqualification from the Electoral College and directed the Boxing Federation of India to extend the date of nominations so that Thakur could file his nomination and participate in the polls. It may be noted that on March 7, Thakur, who had been representing the Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association, as well as Larry Kharpran of Meghalaya, Asish Kumar Saha of Tripura and Delhi state body's Rohit Jain and Neeraj Bhatt were found ineligible to be part of the electoral college. “That being the case, the rejection of the nomination of one of the members, namely, Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur, nominated by petitioner No.1 in terms of impugned Annexure P-10, which is a list of Electoral College, dated 12.03.2025, as well as Annexure P-14, dated 13.03.2025, which the final list of Electoral College approved by the Returning Officer is prima facie bad and not sustainable in law,” the bench held. Accordingly, as an ad-interim measure, the Court stayed the operation of Notice, as well as the rejection of the nomination of one of the two nominated members by the Association and directed respondent No.3-Federation to treat the nomination of Thakur along with the nomination of Mr. Rajesh Bhandari to be a valid nomination for the Electoral College by the Association and proceed with the election process.