The Congress Tuesday released its first list of 46 candidates for the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh that is scheduled to be held on November 12.
Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya Singh has been nominated from the Shimla Rural constituency. However, the list did not include the name of Virbhadra Singh’s wife and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh, who is also the state Congress chief.
The party has fielded its legislature party leader Mukesh Agnihotri from Haroli in Una district. Former state Congress chiefs Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Kuldeep Singh Rathore have been nominated from Nadaun and Theog respectively. Former state minister and ex-AICC secretary Asha Kumari is nominated from the Dalhousie seat.
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Former state minister and ex-state party chief Kaul Singh Thakur is nominated from Darang assembly seat, and his daughter, Champa Thakur, has been nominated from Mandi, giving a go-by to the party’s “one family, one ticket” formula.
Raghubir Singh Bali, son of former cabinet minister and four-time MLA Late Gurmukh Singh Bali, will be contesting from Nagrota constituency.
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BJP-turned-Congress leaders, Dyal Pyari has been fielded from the Pachhad (SC) seat, while Khimi Ram is the Congress candidate from the Banjar assembly seat.
The Congress party has fielded most of its sitting MLAs. Congress leader Alka Lamba said the names of the remaining 22 candidates would be declared soon.
Elections to the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly will be held on November 12 and counting of votes will take place on December 8. The last date for filing of nominations for the polls is October 25. The ruling BJP has 43 members, and Congress 22, in the Himachal assembly.
(With inputs from PTI)