Bhanu Luhumi
Shimla, October 20
The BJP on Thursday released the list of remaining six candidates.
Five-time BJP MLA Ravinder Singh Ravi, a die-hard loyalist of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal would contest from Jawalamukhi, while sitting MLA from Jawalamukhi Ramesh Dhawala have been given ticket from Dehra and Hoshiyaar Singh who won as an Independent from Dehra in 2017 assembly polls and joined the BJP recently has been denied the ticket.
Former MLA and MP Maheshwar Singh, scion of Kullu would contest from Kullu, while former ABVP state president Kaul Negi would contest from Rampur.
The BJP had on Wednesday released its first list of 62 candidates for the polls to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly, fielding Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur from his current constituency Seraj.
The party dropped 11 sitting MLAs, including a cabinet minister, and changed the seats of two ministers -- Suresh Bharadwaj and Rakesh Pathania. The name of former chief minister and veteran party leader Prem Kumar Dhumal did not figure in the list. Party sources said the 78-year-old leader, whose son Anurag Thakur is a Union minister, had conveyed to the party leadership his unwillingness to contest.
The BJP has in some earlier polls refrained from fielding those above 75 years of age. Assembly polls in the state are scheduled for November 12 and the last date for filing nominations is October 25.
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