E-Paper
Congress high command to decide party candidates for HP bypolls
The HP Congress passed a single-line resolution authorising the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi to decide on the candidates for the upcoming bypolls
The state Congress on Saturday decided to authorise the party high command to choose candidates for the bypolls to three assembly segments and one parliamentary seat in Himachal.
The members of the state election committee gathered at the party’s headquarters Rajiv Bhawan to deliberate on the selection of candidates for the bypolls. The party passed a single-line resolution authorising the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to decide on the candidates. AICC co-incharge for party affairs in Himachal, Sanjay Dutt, too was present in the meeting
The 15-member committee met in Shimla. The members included state party chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore, leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, Dalhousie legislator Asha Kumari, former health minister Kaul Singh Thakur, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, former transport minister GS Bali, Naina Devi Lal Thakur, former urban development minister and AICC secretary Sudhir Sharma, AICC secretary Rajesh Dharmani, and former minister Harsh Mahajan.
Most of the members of the state election committee were not present. “The resolution was passed in the meeting, authorising the party high command to take the final call on the ticket allocation. We all are moving to Delhi,” said Kuldeep Singh Rathore.
Two-time legislator Rohit Thakur, who is also former chief parliamentary secretary, is the lone contender from Jubbal-Kotkhai – the seat that fell vacant after the death of former horticulture minister Narendra Bragta.
Bhawani Singh Pathania, son of former transport minister and prominent Rajput leader Sujan Singh Pathania, is likely to be a candidate from Fatehpur, while Sanjay Awasthi and Rajendra Thakur are vying for ticket from Arki, the seat that had fallen vacant after the death of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
The party is keen to allocate the ticket to former Lok Sabha member and Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh from Mandi. She had lost to Ramswaroop Sharma. Ashray Sharma, grandson of former Union minister Sukhram, too is lobbying for ticket. He had also lost to Ramswaroop in the last elections. Youth Congress president Nigam Bhandhari is also seeking a ticket from Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Former health minister Kaul Singh Thakur’s name was doing the rounds, but he has expressed reluctance to contest elections citing lack of resources.
