BJP’s Ravi Thakur steps up campaign, Congress yet to pick Lahaul-Spiti nominee

Shimla, April 12

The Congress is likely to finalise its candidates for the parliamentary elections and Assembly byelections in the state at its Central Election Committee meeting in New Delhi tomorrow. According to sources, the party is likely to announce all four candidates for the parliamentary seats and one or two candidates for the six byelections.

As for the parliamentary seats, the Congress has almost finalised the candidates for two constituencies – PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh from Mandi and Satpal Raizada, a former Una MLA, from Hamirpur. As per the sources, these two names were finalised at the meeting of the coordination committee and the screening committee in New Delhi about a week ago, and the approval from the CEC is merely a formality. Incidentally, Vikramaditya Singh has already locked horns with Kangana Ranaut, BJP candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency.

As for the Kangra parliamentary seat, former minister Asha Kumari is the frontrunner for the ticket but some other candidates, including Jagjivan Pal, a prominent OBC leader, too, are in the fray.

The Congress seems to be having a tough time in finalising the candidate from the Shimla parliamentary constituency. Vinod Sultanpuri, Kasauli MLA, has emerged frontrunner for the Congress ticket though his name was added to the list of contenders quite late. Besides, speculation is rife that the Congress is interested in fielding Virender Kashyap, a two-time BJP MP from Shimla, if he deserts the opposition party. Amit Nanda and Dayal Pyari are the other two candidates, who have been in the race right from the start.“We will know our candidates by tomorrow evening,” said a Congress leader.