BJP, Cong rebels refuse to quit in Nalagarh, Pachhad

Ambika Sharma

Solan, October 29

Rebels are set to upset the poll calculations of both BJP and Congress. They have refused to withdraw from the elections in the Nalagarh and Pachhad Assembly segments.

Former BJP MLA KL Thakur did not oblige senior party leaders and did not withdraw his nomination filed as an Independent candidate from Nalagarh after party denied him ticket.

KL Thakur, BJP rebel
Former BJP MLA KL Thakur has filed nomination as Independent, after the party denied him ticket from Nalagarh

GR Musafir, Congress rebel
Seven-time Congress MLA GR Musafir was denied ticket from Pachhad, as he had lost three consecutive polls

He will affect the poll prospects of BJP candidate and sitting MLA Lakhwinder Rana. A Congress MLA, Rana had joined the BJP following a tussle with INTUC president Hardeep Bawa days before the elections were announced. The Congress has fielded Bawa from Nalagarh and a keen triangular contest is on the cards.

The BJP has two of the five MLAs in Solan district. The party is trying to wrest back the Nalagarh seat from the Congress but the presence of a rebel has made the task arduous. Meanwhile, eight candidates have withdrawn their nominations in Solan district and 32 candidates are left in the fray for five seats.

In the Pachhad segment of Sirmaur district, seven-time Congress MLA GR Musafir is likely to mar the poll prospects of party’s official nominee Dyal Pyari. She had joined the Congress in 2020 after leaving the BJP. She had remained a zila parishad chairperson.

The Congress has fielded Pyari as Musafir had lost three consecutive elections. Musafir’s presence will adversely hit the Congress vote share. Since both hail from the non-Trans Giri area, a division in their votes can benefit BJP nominee and sitting MLA Reena Kashyap.

Also, the Congress has been trying to re-establish its stronghold in Sirmaur district where it has merely two MLAs in five segments. The Pacchad seat has been the pocket borough of the Congress for years, but the presence of a rebel is likely to hit its poll prospects.

In Sirmaur, four candidates withdrew their names and now 29 candidates are in the fray for five seats.