Three BJP candidates from Shimla, Hamirpur and Kangra, the names of whom were announced recently, have started campaigning in their respective constituencies but indecisiveness has gripped ruling Congress over the choice of candidate and is likely to delay the announcement little further.
The Congress is now grappling to find suitable candidates for Hamirpur and Kangra seats with difference of opinion clearly evident on the choice of party’s mass leader Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and the organisation. The biggest dilemma lies for the party is at Hamirpur parliamentary seat, a BJP stronghold. Both the organisation and the State Government has been planning in past one year to wrest back the seat after a gap of 16 years.
While state unit of the party is not in favour of fielding ‘outsiders’ from the seat, looking at difference of opinion among senior leaders, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has shown his backing to Independent MlA from Sujanpur Rajendra Rana who he had termed as best option available for the party.
Rana, an old time protégé of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, is first time MlA, who contested the assembly elections as an independent after being denied BJP ticket. The central leadership is looking to field a strong candidate from the Hamirpur seat to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) national president Anurag Thakur. In the last Central Election Committee meeting of the party, Congress leadership zeroed in on Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri for Hamirpur seat looking at the winnability quotient. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh immediately objected to the choice and wrote a letter saying that Agnihotri could not be spared. According to sources, keeping the cast equations in mind in the district, now central leadership wants that the State party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, should contest the election despite the fact he lost the assembly election from Nadaun Assembly segment of Hamirpur parliamentary seat.
Another major hurdle for the Congress party is Kangra sea where BJP has declared its strongest candidate former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has shown his backing to former MP Chander Kumar who has also started touring the entire constituency.
latest entrant to the fray is Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari, currently MP from Jodhpur of Rajasthan and has put her claim from the seat, as she belongs to the royal family of Kangra. With Chandresh jumping into the fray for Kangra seat, it has become another hurdle for the party. Another problem which might take a bigger shape for the party is Shimla seat where Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has backed Rohru MlA Mohan lal Brakta as a probable candidate with the logic that he has secured highest margin of votes during Assembly polls.
A faction of leaders from the party is of other view and says that Brakta does not command support outside Shimla while young candidate Vinod Sultanpuri, son of six-time MP KD Sultanpuri, can be accepted as a household name. Vinod Sultanpuri lost the Assembly polls by just 25 votes from Kasauli during Assembly polls and is considered close to Rahul Gandhi’s team. However, party stands unanimous on the choice of Mandi seat candidate where CM Virbhadra Singh’s wife Pratibha will be contesting. Central leadership is likely to announce the candidate for the State next week ahead of Rahul’s rally on Mar 8 at Dharamshala.