The Congress party on Monday unveiled its candidates for the upcoming bypolls in two Himachal Pradesh Assembly seats — Hamirpur and Nalagarh. Dr Pushpendra Verma will contest from Hamirpur, while Hardeep Singh Bawa will vie for Nalagarh. Both candidates had previously contested and lost from these seats in the 2022 state assembly elections.

The bypolls are scheduled for July 10, with the results to be declared on July 13. However, the Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the Dehra constituency, which will also hold a bypoll on the same date. By delaying the announcement for Dehra assembly seat, the grand old party is weighing its options carefully to maximize their chances in this crucial election.

The saffron party, BJP, has already fielded three former independent MLAs who recently joined their ranks. Hoshary Singh Chambyal will contest from Dehra, Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur, and KL Thakur from Nalagarh. These candidates had resigned from the Legislative Assembly on March 22 and officially joined the BJP the following day. Their resignations were accepted by Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on June 3.

The BJP’s decision to embrace these former Independents is seen as an effort to bolster their position and potentially reclaim these seats.

The bypolls are crucial as they will potentially alter the balance of power in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly. Currently, the Congress holds a majority with 38 seats, while the Opposition BJP has 27 MLAs. The outcome of these bypolls could impact the political dynamics in the state, influencing legislative decisions and governance.

The nomination process for the bypolls will continue till June 21, with the final date for withdrawal set for June 26. As political tensions rise and campaigning intensifies, all eyes will be on these pivotal contests that could reshape the political landscape of Himachal Pradesh. Both parties are expected to pull out all the stops in their campaigns, highlighting key issues and promises to sway voters.