Himachal Pradesh BJP State election committee on Saturday shortlisted a panel of four names for Sujanpur Assembly constituency where bypoll is scheduled along with the lok Sabha polling on May 7.
State BJP election committee on Saturday met at Bilaspur to shortlist a candidate for Sujanpur Assembly seat but failing to arrive at consensus decided to form a panel of names and send to party high command for final decision.
Sujanpur Assembly constituency of BJP stronghold Hamirpur district had fallen vacant after Independent legislator Rajender Rana quit Assembly on March 14 to contest for lok Sabha elections on Congress ticket from Hamirpur parliamentary constituency.
BJP’s deceased stalwart and former Minister Jagdev Chand Thakur’s son Narender Thakur who recently returned to the BJP is front runner for the ticket from Sujanpur seat, a newly carved out Assembly segment that have 14 panchayats of earlier Bumsan Assembly segment — a stronghold of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Former two time legislator Urmil Thakur, Sujanpur BJP Mandal president Rakesh Thakur and former Bamsan Mandal president Virender Thakur also found mention in the panel forwarded to high command for deliberation.
BJP State president Satpal Singh Satti said it was unanimously decided that to forward a four-member panel to the high command for final decision. “In next two-three days high command will take a call on candidate from Sujanpur," said Satti.
According to party sources, total of seven names were discussed in the meeting which also include zila parishad member Anjana Thakur, retired colonel Sarwan Rana and youth leader Vijay Bahal were also discussed nut the names were not included into the panel of names due to their localised influence.
“As the BJP has now authorised national president Rajnath Singh to finalise remaining candidate for the lok Sabha it is likely that Sujanpur candidate will be decided by him after holding discussions with national organisation secretary Ram lal and party in-charge of state Balbir Punj.
Urmil Thakur, who contested her first election in 1998, said that she had claimed the party ticket as she was earlier asked to contest 2012 assembly election from Sujanpur leaving her traditional seat from Hamirpur for former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Narender Thakur-brother in law of Urmil Thakur has till now unsuccessfully contested five Assembly and lok Sabha elections including two elections on Congress ticket — lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha each against Anurag Thakur and Prem Kumar Dhumal in 2009 and 2012 respectively.