Opposition BJP in Himachal Pradesh has geared up for the Mandi parliamentary constituency bypoll and held its first meeting of the newly constituted State election committee of the party to finalise the name of the candidate.
Mandi bypoll is likely to be held in second or third week of June and both Congress and BJP have geared up for the elections. BJP held the meeting of the state election committee at Sunder Nagar in which senior leaders of the party including former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and others participated.
Senior party leader and former national vice president Shanta Kumar skipped the meeting. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti had visited him recently and requested him to participate in the meeting.
Deliberations were held on four names, including BJP MlA Jai Ram Thakur, party's vice president Ram Swaroop Sharma, party spokesperson Ajai Rana and former Forest Minister Khimi Ram.
Sources said Jai Ram Thakur may contest the election as several members of the committee were in his favour due to his organisational skills.
However, after failing to arrive at consensus, election committee forwarded panel of names to central leadership which will take final call on candidate, after notification of the by-election is being made next week. BJP is facing a daunting task to find a suitable candidate for Mandi parliamentary seat as its earlier candidate Maheshwar Singh has rebelled from party and formed his own party Himachal lokhit Party. Maheshwar Singh had been two-time MP from Mandi seat on BJP ticket and is now independent MlA in Assembly from Kullu.
Congress in all probability is likely to field former MP Pratibha Singh, wife of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, in the election as she had earlier also represented the seat in Parliament.
Chief Minister has himself taken up the mantle to campaign for the poll and already kick started the poll campaign from Monday from Bharmour.
Mandi is the biggest parliamentary constituency of the State and constitutes 17 Assembly constituencies out of which 11 constituencies are with Congress.
Meanwhile, Mandi strongman and former Union Telecom Minister Pandit Sukhram has also assured support to chief minister Virbhadra Singh.