TNR Desk
The Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha poll and Assembly byelections in Himachal Pradesh are expected to be finalised this week. A meeting of the party’s central election committee (CEC) is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on either April 26 or 27, said sources.
The party is seeking strong contenders for the Kangra and Hamirpur parliamentary seats. A survey is also said to be underway to select candidates for the Assembly byelections in the six constituencies of Dharamshala, Barsar, Sujanpur, Gagret, Kutlehar and Lahaul-Spiti. Once the survey results are in, a panel will be formed and presented to the top party leadership for approval.
The state’s Lok Sabha poll and the Assembly byelections are slated for the final phase on June 1, with election notifications set for May 7. As a result, the Congress has been taking a measured approach in candidate selection.
According to party sources, the state Congress has already submitted a panel of potential candidates from Kangra and Hamirpur to the CEC, which includes the names of several MLAs. Additionally, a panel comprising the names of prospective winners identified through the survey for the Assembly byelections will be compiled and sent for approval.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu himself visited Dharamshala and Sujanpur. A top Congress leader said the party had devised a comprehensive strategy and things would be in place soon. He said MLAs Vikramaditya Singh and Vinod Sultanpuri have initiated campaigning in Mandi and Shimla parliamentary constituencies.
He said party leaders, including Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, will soon address meetings across the state.
