Congress in Himachal Pradesh yet to identify candidates for upcoming polls

SHIMLA: Congress has yet to identify the candidates for four parliamentary seats of Hamirpur, Shimla , Mandi and Kangra. The Party this time has decided to conduct surveys to find suitable candidates who can defeat BJP candidates in the upcoming elections. Two rounds of surveys have already been completed while the third survey is in progress.

In 2014, Congress despite being in power in the state had lost all four seats to BJP and now reclaiming these seats has become a challenge for the party.


Sources in Congress said that the survey report is expected soon and suspense and confusion on candidates would be clear after the March 7 rally of AICC president Rahul Gandhi, as feedback of rally would also be considered while deciding the names. AICC had hired consultants for the surveys while HPCC too had conducted the survey at its own level.

Sources said that in Kangra parliamentary seat, there are many aspirants of ticket. While seven leaders including former minister Thakur Singh Bharmauri and former MP Chander Kumar have applied for the ticket, names of former ministers GS Bali and Sudhir Sharma, both Brahmin leaders, are also doing the rounds. If the rivalry of Bali and Sharma could hamper the winning prospect of party then party could also consider the names of Dalhousie MLA Asha Kumari and Kangra MLA Pawan Kajal. If OBC factor is taken into account then Congress field Pawan Kajal from Kangra this side, they said.

Sources said that in Hamirpur too party is struggling to field a suitable candidate against BJP. While BJP is all set to field its sitting MP Anurag Thakur who already has won three consecutive elections from here, Congress has yet to identify a strong candidate though names of former chief parliamentary secretary Rajesh Dharmani, Abhishek Rana, former state president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Congress Legislature Party leader Mukesh Agnihotri are doing the rounds .

Even picture is not clear in Mandi parliamentary seat which traditionally has remained a stronghold of former chief minister and senior Congress leader Virbhadra Singh. Sources said that at the age of 85, Virbhadra Singh has played his last political inning with his election from Arki assembly seat while his wife Pratibha Singh, who had lost from Mandi in 2014, is least interested in contesting this time.

There is a section on Congress that wants his son Vikramadtiya Singh, sitting MLA from Shimla (rural), to contest from Mandi parliamentary seat this time but he has not given any signal of contesting. Moreover, Congress has set the rule of not fielding sitting MLA.

Sources said that former minister Kaul Singh Thakur could be the candidate from Mandi provided he gets the support of Virbhadra Singh. Party has also set eyes on the outcome of BJP’s decision candidate from Mandi as former union minister Sukh Ram is seeking ticket for his grandson Ashray Sharma.

Shimla is the only parliamentary seat where picture is almost clear with former MP Col Dhani Ram Shandil applying for the party ticket. Sources said that Shandil is all set to become the party candidate as in past he has won elections from this seat.

To decide the tickets, Congress high command has formed five members committee that includes AICC General Secretary (Organisation) Venugopal, AICC incharge for state Rajni Patil, Kuldeep Rathore and Congress Legislature Party leader Mukesh Agnihotri.