M A I N   N E W S

HP Votes
Please-all Cong list; new man likely for Theog
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 24
The Congress has retained most of the sitting MLAs in the list finalised by for the assembly poll in Himachal Pradesh. While new faces have replaced MLAs on four seats, the party has decided to give tickets to a few young leaders in the constituencies it had lost in the previous polls.

Sources said the list, which is awaiting final nod from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, has fewer women than the last election though the party has sought to maintain a balance between the two factions in the state. While Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has been successful in getting ticket to the nominee of his choice in his home town Rampur while former PCC chief Vidya Stokes has had her say in Theog, where the party has decided to deny ticket to Rakesh Verma, MLA, who is an associate member.

The party leadership has also decided to give tickets to sons of revenue minister Sat Mahajan and party MP Chander Kumar. Sat Mahajan’s son Ajay would be fielded from Nurpur while Kumar’s son Neeraj Bharti is liklely to be the party nominee from Guler. PCC chief Violpve Thakur’s brother Nikhil Rajor would contest from Jaswan.

Party’s Central Election Committee, which met yesterday, had cleared 55 of the 65 seats going to the polls in the second phase. The Chief Minister and PCC chief met with other members of the screening committee today to take a decision on the pending seats, which included Rampur, Theog, Nurpur, Guler, Jaswan, Jawalamukhi, Una, Mewa and Arki. The party has decided to field a woman candidate from Jawalamukhi. The final decision on Arki, where sitting legislator Dharam Pal is a candidate, and Una has been left to the Congress president.

The party has decided to field NSUI chief Kewal Singh Pathania from Shahpur while Youth Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, MLA, will re-contest from Nandaun. The party has accepted the request of party leader Harsh Mahajan not to contest polls.

Replying to queries, the Chief Minister, who is leaving the capital tomorrow morning, said that the list was “quite balanced and had taken care of everything.” He added that there were many aspirants but everybody cannot be given ticket. Admitting that there would be some disappointment among the aspirants, he expressed confidence that everybody will accept the decision of the party with grace. On change of candidate in Rampur, he said he had no grouse against Singhi Ram but there were certain problems in the constituency vis-a-vis the electorate. The Chief Minister is likely to file his nomination on November 29 from Rohru. Former minister Sukh Ram’s son has been fielded from Mandi.

Following is the list of candidates awaiting final clearence from Congress president and a formal announcement:

Surinder Kaku (Kangra), Bodh Raj (Gangat), Yograj (Pragpur), Nikhil Rajor (Manu) (Jaswan), Roma Kondal (Jawalamukhi), G S Bali (Nagrota Bagwan), Milkhi Ram Goma (Rajgir), Chadresh Kumari (Dharamsala), B.B.L. Butail (Palampur), Jagjivan Pal (Sulah), Sudhir Sharma (Baijnath), Kewal Singh Pathania (Shapur), Sanjay Rana (Thural), Neeraj Bharti (Guler), Ajay Mahajan (Nurpur), Kuldeep Singh Pathania (Bhatiyat), Pawan Nayyar (Chamba), Surinder Bhardwaj (Rajnagar), Asha Kumari (Banikhet), Anil Verma (Mandi), Surinder Pal (Jogindernagar), Kaul Singh (Darang), Chandershekhar (Dharampur), Rangila Ram Rao (Gopalpur), Sohan Lal (Sundernagar), Tek Chand (Nachan), Shiv Lal (Chechiot), Prakash Chaudhray (Bal), Mast Ram (Karsog), Satya Prakash Thakur (Banjar), Raj Kishan Gaur (Kullu), Iswar Chand (Ani).

Nand Lal (Rampur), Virbhadra Singh (Rohru), Vidya Stokes (Kumarsain), Rajinder Verma (Theog), Rohit Thakur (Jubbal Kotkhai), Subash Manglet (Chopal), Harbhajan Singh Bhajji (Shimla), Sohan Lal (Kasumpti), Anita Verma (Hamirpur), Col Bidhi Chand (Bamsan), Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (Nadaun), Vidya Zar (Nadaunta), Suresh Kumar (Mewa), Mukesh Agnihotri (Santoshgarh), Ram Nath Sharma (Kutlehar), Kuldeep Kumar (Gagret), Rakesh Kalia (Chintpurni), Kailash Parashar (Solan), Lakhwinder Rana (Nalagarh), Lajja Ram (Doon), Raghu Raj (Kasauli), Harshwardhan Chauhan (Shilai), Gangu Ram Musafir (Pachad), Karnesh Jang (Paonta Sahib), Prem Singh (Renuka), Kush Parmar (Nahan), Thakur Ram Lal (Kot Kehloor), Tilak Raj (Bilaspur), Rajesh Dharmani (Ghumarwain) and Biru Ram (Gherwain).