Amid tussle over difference of opinions between Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu over tickets, finally Singh had his way by securing tickets for his loyalists from party high command.
Congress Central Election Committee which met on Thursday declared tickets for former MP Chander Kumar for Kangra and first time Rohru MlA Mohan lal Brakta for Shimla (reserve) parliamentary seats. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has been favouring ticket for his loyalists Chander Kumar and Brakta for Shimla parliamentary seats while Sukhu was pitching for tickets to Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari from Kangra seat and Vinod Sultanpuri from Shimla seats.
Congress Central Election Committee had put a stamp of its approval for the ticket for Mandi parliamentary seat to sitting Member of Parliament and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha Singh but the announcement was made on Thursday evening by the party.
However, the Central Election Committee of the party could not arrive at the consensus for politically significant Hamirpur parliamentary seat from where Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has been pitching for Rajendra Rana independent MlA from Sujanpur.
Sukhu has been advocating the name of Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri who has shown reluctance to contest the polls. Sources consensus did not arrived among the central election committee members over giving ticket to Rana as he is considered as ‘outsider’ among the party ranks. Sukhu and several top leaders have vehemently opposed the candidature of Rana terming him as an outsider. Rana was one time protégé of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Congress leaders believe that it would send a wrong message among party ranks to give ticket to an outsider and make him contest against Dhumal’s heavyweight son Anurag Thakur.
According to party sources, another round of discussions could be held on Rana’s candidature on Friday at the central election committee meeting of Congress. On other hand, the BJP also failed to finalise the name of candidate for Mandi parliamentary seat.
BJP sources said that party is mulling to give ticket to Ajai Rana whom former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is backing for the seat, represented by Pratibha Singh wife of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
Virbhadra, wife join FB, Twitter
The social networking bug has finally bitten Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh ahead of lok Sabha polls as the election campaign has been intensifying on Facebook and Twitter with leaders from different parties already putting their views in public domain.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, it was stated that social networking site Facebook has verified the official page of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and the press note claimed that he will be the first politician from Himachal Pradesh to have official page on Facebook.
The Chief Minister said in the statement issued that he has made his presence on Facebook and Twitter in order to reach out to the people in an organised manner. “I thank Facebook and Twitter for verifying my official pages,” said the statement.
Similarly, Facebook has also verified the official page of Mandi MP Pratibha Singh. She has been already interacting with the followers on Facebook by sharing her tour programmes and activities.