Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Admi Party on Wednesday announced that it would field Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra's mother Kamal Kant Batra from the Hamirpur parliamentary seat, currently held by former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal's son Anurag Thakur.
Thakur is the national head of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
Retired government teacher Kamal Kant's name figured among the list of 56 candidates released on Wednesday.
The party had been trying to convince her to contest the elections from Hamirpur for a long times, as she hails from the Sujanpur assembly segment.
Batra, whose father served in the Army's medical corps, had moved to Palampur after her marriage, and had retired as a junior basic teacher from Palampur in 2003.
"I have decided to enter the poll fray since I believe that it is the best way to serve people. I am retired now, so want to spent more time serving people taking up the cause," she told HT.
On being asked that she did not have much association with Hamirpur, Kamal Kant said, "There is nothing abnormal about contesting elections from a different parliamentary seat. Everywhere, a leader is contesting from another seat. In Hamirpur, there are lots of ex-servicemen, and my family also has a defence background." She added that she had been doing social service after her retirement.
{{/usCountry}}On being asked that she did not have much association with Hamirpur, Kamal Kant said, "There is nothing abnormal about contesting elections from a different parliamentary seat. Everywhere, a leader is contesting from another seat. In Hamirpur, there are lots of ex-servicemen, and my family also has a defence background." She added that she had been doing social service after her retirement.
{{/usCountry}}Captain Vikram Batra, who was killed in the Kargil conflict, was awarded the Paramvir Chakra for his gallantry in recapturing Point.