Post Assembly elections results in five States, both BJP and Congress have made a U-turn on the decision of early announcement of candidates in December for the 2014-lok Sabha polls, on the pretext that exercise is still under way.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu had announced in September that candidates of the party for the 2014-General polls will be announced before December 30. Sukhu had said that party had decided to announce the candidates early, so that they have enough time to connect with the people of the constituency as in Himachal Pradesh, parliamentary constituencies are very big.
Sukhu said names of interest candidates were sought by HPCC and several names have come to the party leadership from block level committees, district level committees and at state level and scrutiny is underway. “We will send the list of probable candidate to the central leadership and they will take the final call on the candidates,” he said.
He added that by January, names of candidates for four parliamentary constituencies are likely to be announced. According to party sources, around 50 names have reached the state leadership for four parliamentary seats, who have applied through block level committees, district level committees and state level committee including sitting Congress MP and chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh. From Mandi parliamentary seat only sitting MP Pratibha Singh has applied, from Shimla parliamentary constituency seven persons including one Virbhadra Singh loyalist Shingi Ram has applied, from Hamirpur parliamentary seat another Virbhadra Singh’s loyalist and chairman of 20 point programme Ram lal Thakur has applied for the tickets alongwith HPCC chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu loyalist Sunil Bittu.
It will be interesting to see whom Congress will field at Kangra which is the biggest district of the state as former MP and Virbhadra Singh’s loyalist Chander Kumar alongwith Raghubir Singh Balli, a former youth Congress leader and son of transport minister GS Balli. Similarly, BJP has also announced that it will declare candidates by December end much before the Congress deadline of December 30. “Our parliamentary seats meetings are still underway and after that names will be sent to central election committee for approval,” said state BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti.
He added that party is likely to bet on sitting MPs, except for Kangra where party has decided not to give ticket to suspended party MP Rajan Sushant. “Efforts are being made to make party veteran Shanta Kumar to contest the elections in order to wrest maximum seats in the state,” said a senior party leader. Party is likely to bet on Anurag Thakur for Hamirpur seat, Jai Ram Thakur for Mandi parliamentary seat and sitting MP Virendra Kashyap for Shimla parliamentary seat.