Ahead of Himachal CM’s visit, Kutlehar aspirants scramble for ticket

Una, April 2

Ahead of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s proposed visit of the Kutlehar Assembly segment on Thursday, aspirants for the party ticket for the upcoming byelections in the Assembly segment have become active.

The seat had become vacant after sitting Congress MLA Devinder Kumar Bhutto joined the rebel ranks and lost his membership from the House along with five others. Now, that Bhutto has joined the BJP, Congress leaders in the segment have hyped up public relations to garner support.

Former member of the Pradesh Congress Committee, Des Raj Gautam, who had contested Assembly elections two decades ago as an Independent candidate from Kutlehar, addressed mediapersons, saying that he was one of the applicants for the ticket. He was Member (North India) of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission when Virbhadra Singh was the Union Minister. Gautam said he had served the Congress for a very long time and deserved the ticket.

Vivek Sharma, who had also contested the Assembly elections in 2017 and had lost to Virender Kanwar of the BJP, has also claimed the ticket, saying that he had lost by a slender margin of 5,606 votes. His father Ram Nath Sharma had represented Kutlehar twice.

Vijay Dogra, Training Coordinator of the All-India Congress Sewa Dal and state spokesman of the Congress who hails from Bhiambi village, said he was instrumental in ensuring Devinder Bhutto’s win during the last elections and he can be a strong contender against him this time.

Col Dharminder Patial (retd) from Hatli, who has also applied for the Congress ticket for Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat and Des Raj Modgil from Bangana Bhaleti have also staked their claims for the Congress ticket from Kutlehar.

The CM is scheduled to address a public meeting in Samoor Kalan village of Kutlehar Assembly segment on Thursday.