Theog to hog limelight even without Stokes

The constituency of present Himachal Congress chief Vidya Stokes draws all the more attention because Stokes has decided to shift from here to neighbouring Kumarsain seat considering the former as 'unsafe'.

A key assembly segment of Shimla Parliamentary constituency, Theog is set to be in focus.

The constituency of present Himachal Congress chief Vidya Stokes draws all the more attention because Stokes has decided to shift from here to neighbouring Kumarsain seat considering the former as 'unsafe'. Poll watchers are keeping watch to known if Stokes was right.

She had once in the immediate past lost to her BJP rival Rakesh Verma from here. Verma has recently quit BJP and announced to contest as an independent but even then Stokes feels that she may not be in "safe" territory in Theog.

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Stokes had defeated Verma by a margin of 6,082 votes. She got 21,926 (56.926%) as compared to Verma's 15,844 (41.135%) in 1998. HVC's Madhu Syam had lost deposit getting just 363 votes. A massive 79.28 per cent of a total of 49058 voters had turned out to cast their votes.