To wrest Shimla Lok Sabha seat from BJP, Congress decides to take back rebels

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, April 21

The Congress has chalked its poll strategy to wrest the Shimla Lok Sabha seat from the BJP, besides allowing re-entry of the rebels, who were expelled from the party. It has fielded its Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri from the seat.

The issue of taking back Congress rebels is also being addressed. The move was started on Saturday with the formal induction of six-time MLA and former minister Gangu Ram Musafir from Pachhad in Sirmaur district into the party. A day later, however, the Congress clarified that the decision on the return of Musafir to the party was pending with the chairman of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Congress president Pratibha Singh had said yesterday that the party was contemplating taking back rebels, who were expelled for anti-party activities, to win the Lok Sabha elections. She said that Musafir’s return would strengthen the Congress’ chances of victory and other rebels, too, would be taken back in the coming days.

It is expected that more rebels, including former Chopal (Shimla) MLA Subhash Manglet, could also be re-inducted into the party soon. Both Musafir and Manglet had contested the 2022 Assembly elections as Independent candidates after being denied Congress ticket.

Ruling party has 14 of 17 MLAs in parliamentary constituency

• The Congress is hopeful of winning the Shimla Lok Sabha seat as 14 of the 17 Assembly segments in the parliamentary constituency are represented by party MLAs
• The party legislators include seven of a total of eight MLAs in Shimla district, four of the five MLAs in Solan district and three of the five MLAs in Sirmaur district, giving the ruling Congress an advantage on the Shimla seat
• The Congress has decided to especially focus on the Nahan, Paonta Sahib, Nalagarh, Doon and Chopal segments where the BJP had got massive lead in the last elections
• There are five ministers — Dhani Ram Shandil, Harshwardhan Chauhan, Rohit Thakur, Anirudh Singh and Vikramaditya Singh — besides Deputy Speaker Vinay Kumar and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Aswasthy from the three districts that constitute the Shimla Lok Sabha seat