37 file nominations for three Shimla zila parishad seats

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 17

The Shimla rural constituency represented by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has emerged as the hot seat for zila parishad candidates as over 37 candidates have filed their nominations for three zila parishad seats, last date for which ended here today.

On the other hand, 26 candidates have filed heir nominations for two zila parishad seats from the neighbouring Kusumpati constituency represented by Congress legislator Anirudh Singh. The elections for panchayats and zila parishads will be held from January 1.

In both the Shimla rural and Kusumpati Assembly segments, only two women candidates have filed their nominations, one each from Anandpur and Basantpur zila parishad open seat.

Even the Baldein zila parishad seat reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) woman has evoked a poor response as only five women candidates filed their nominations.

Despite the fact that the Pradesh Congress Committee had issued directives to block committees to ensure consensus for the zila parishad seat, only 37 candidates, including two women, have filed their nominations. Out of these, many candidates from the CPM, BJP and other parties are also in the fray.

“Out of these, 14 candidates have filed their nominations from the Chailie zila parishad ward, 14 from Basantpur and eight from the Kariala ward,” said Gyan Sagar Negi, Sub-Divisional Magistrate-cum-returning officer, Shimla rural and Kusumpati.

On the other, the highest number of nominations - 21- have been filed from the Anandpur zila parishad seat and five nominations for the Baldien reserved seat. In all, 63 candidates have filed their nominations for the five zila parishad seats in both the Shimla rural and Kusumpati constituencies today, he added. Negi said scrutiny would be done tomorrow while the last date for withdrawal is December 21.