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HP polls: BJP announces 62 candidates, fields 19 new faces
BJP has changed the tradition in ticket distribution and fielded 19 fresh faces, party state president Suresh Kashyap said on Wednesday after the party announced the first list of 62 candidates.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday announced its first list of 62 candidates for the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections slated for November.
The BJP has changed the tradition in ticket distribution and fielded 19 fresh faces for the upcoming assembly elections, party state president Suresh Kashyap said on Wednesday after the party announced the first list of 62 candidates.
He also defended the BJP’s move to select kin of politicians, going against its own policy of not allotting tickets to families of leaders, stating that they have been selected on the bases of their leadership quality.
The party, in a bid to buck anti-incumbency, denied tickets to 11 sitting legislators, shifted two ministers and fielded 19 new faces. The list also features five women. The nominees were finalised in the central election committee meeting held on Tuesday night, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah and national president JP Nadda.
The chief minister, who is also leading the party’s campaign, will contest from the Seraj assembly segment of Mandi district, while Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker will contest from Churah, Dr Janak Raj, a neurosurgeon, who quit his job to enter politics, has been picked up from Bharmour (ST). Indira Kapoor will be the party candidate from the Chamba assembly segment. She is fighting instead of sitting legislator Pawan Nayyar. DS Thakur has been given a ticket from Dalhousie and Bikram Sigh Jaryal from Bhattiyat.
Incumbent forest minister Rakesh Pathania has been shifted from Nurpur to Fatehpur and urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj has been moved from Shimla (Urban) to Kasumpti.
Ranveer Singh Nikka has received the ticket from Nurpur, sitting legislator Reeta Dhiman from Indora (SC), Sanjay Guleria from Jawali, industry minister Bikram Singh from Jaswan-Pragpur, Ravinder Singh Dhiman from Jaisinghpur and the speaker of the outgoing assembly Vipin Singh Parmar from Sulah.
Arun Mehra Kuka is the BJP nominee from Nagrota-Bagwan, while sitting social justice and empowerment minister Sarveen Chaudhary will slug it out from Shahpur. OBC leader Rakesh Chaudhary, who had recently jumped ship from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is the BJP’s face from Dharamshala and state party generally secretary Trilok Kapoor will contest from Palampur.
The party has fielded Mulkh Raj Premi from Baijnath (SC) and minister Ram Lal Markanda from Lahaul-Spiti (ST). Education minister Govind Singh Thakur will contest from his traditional Manali seat, while sitting legislator Surender Shauri is the party candidate from Banjar.
In a surprise move, the party fielded Lokender Singh, a former communist leader, from Anni (SC), while Deepraj Kapoor Banthal has been fielded from Karsog, Vinod Kumar from Nachan (SC), Puran Chand Thakur from Darang and sitting independent legislator Prakash Rana from Jogindernagar.
Rajat Thakur has replaced his minister father Mahender Singh Thakur in Gagret. Anil Sharma, former minister and son of Congress veteran Sukh Ram is the BJP face from Mandi. Inder Singh Gandhi is the candidate from Balh (SC), Daleep Thakur from Sarkaghat, Anil Dhiman from Bhoranj, Capt Ranjeet Singh(Retd) from Sujanpur, Narender Thakur from Hamirpur, and Vijay Agnihotri from Nadaun.
Balbir Singh Thakur is the party’s pick from Chintpurni (SC), Rajesh Thakur from Gagret, Satpal Singh Satti from Una, Virender Kanwar from Kutlehar, JR Katwal from Jhanduta (SC), Rajender Garg from Ghumarwin, Trilok Jamwal from Bilaspur, Randheer Sharma from Naina Deviji and Govind Ram Sharma from Arki.
Pawan Kajal and Lakhwinder Singh Rana, former Congress legislators, who joined the BJP ahead of the polls, have been given tickets from Kangra and Nalagarh respectively.
Rajesh Kashyap is the party candidate from Solan (SC), Reena Kashyap from Pachhad (SC), sitting minister Rajiv Saizal from Kasauli (SC) and Sardar Paramjeet Singh Pammi from Doon.
Former state party president Rajeev Bindal has been picked up from Nahan, Narayan Singh from Renukaji (SC), Sukh Ram Chaudhary from Paonta Sahib, Baldev Tomar from Shillai, Balbir Verma from Chopal and Ajay Shyam from Theog. Sanjay Sood will contest from Shimla (urban), and Ravi Mehta from Shimla (Rural), Chetan Bragta from Jubbal-Kotkhai, Shahi Bala from Rohru (SC) and Surat Negi from Kinnaur (ST).
