Cong list likely as central panel meets today

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 17

The Congress is likely to declare the first list of candidates for the November 9 Himachal Pradesh elections tomorrow with the party chief Sonia Gandhi-led central poll panel scheduled to meet at 10.30 am.

The meeting of the CEC, earlier expected today, was delayed until tomorrow morning in the wake of marathon meetings the Congress screening committee held to forge consensus on certain key seats. It is learnt that agreements for single names have been reached on 56 out of 68 assembly segments.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, sources indicated, is veering towards Arki, a constituency in Solan district from where the Congress lost two past elections. In the last elections, Congress party’s Sanjay Awasthi lost the seat by a wafer thin margin.

Meanwhile, state Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu told The Tribune he was “ready to fight from any seat and from anywhere”. The screening committee led by former MoS Jitendra Singh is said to have asked Sukhu to fight from Nadaun he earlier held but Sukhu said, “I have told the committee I am willing to contest from any difficult seat in Himachal and not necessarily from the seat I have earlier held or contested. My view is that senior Congress leaders should contest from tough seats and I am ready.”

The Chief Minister yesterday spoken of his intentions to fight from Arki and win it back for the Congress although there was earlier talk that he would fight from Theog after sitting MLA Vidya Stokes sought retirement. A section of Congress leaders say Kotghar belt of Theog is facing a minor revolt since talks began of the Chief Minister fighting from here. Senior Himachal Congress leader Kuldip Singh Rathore is an applicant from Theog.

Shimla Urban is another tricky seat with the Chief Minister, former union minister Anand Sharma and Sukhu seeking ticket for their loyalists. Sukhu is interested in contesting from this seat having been a councilor from here earlier.

Bharmour is under discussion with the screening committee meeting. There is talk of giving this seat to sitting MLA Thakur Singh Bharmouri’s son. Kangra segment is in for hectic deliberations while Youth Congress general secretary Manish Thakur is said to be keen to fight from Paonta, said sources.

A section of senior leadership of Himachal Congress feels the Chief Minister should fight from Theog having earlier expressed an inclination to do so.