Barring Anurag Thakur from Hamirpur, BJP undecided on candidates for 3 other Lok Sabha seats in Himachal
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Strap: Top leaders hold parleys at state headquarters in Shimla
TNR Desk
The Himachal Pradesh BJP convened a crucial screening committee meeting at its state headquarters Deepkamal in Shimla late on Tuesday (March 5, 2024). The meeting, which lasted until late night, aimed to deliberate on potential candidates for the four Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Prominent leaders, including BJP national vice-president Saudan Singh and Union Minister Anurag Thakur, participated in the deliberations. The meeting also saw the presence of key Himachal BJP leaders such as state president Rajeev Bindal, Leader of Opposition and former CM Jai Ram Thakur, MP Sikander Kumar, Bihari Lal Sharma and Trilok Kapoor, alongside former presidents Satpal Singh Satti and Suresh Kashyap.
Anurag emerged as the sole contender for the Hamirpur seat, showcasing his stronghold in the region. Sitting MP Suresh Kashyap is slated to retain candidacy for the Shimla seat with the possibility of MLA Reena Kashyap entering the fray should women’s quota be implemented.
Among the four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh, it was revealed that the BJP may consider changing candidates for three seats, demonstrating the party’s strategic manoeuvering in the run-up to the elections. In adherence to the party’s directive, one ticket out of the four seats is earmarked for a female candidate, underlining the BJP’s commitment to gender representation in politics.
The party has also instituted a formula whereby leaders who lost elections while serving as cabinet ministers would be excluded from the candidate pool. Gobind Singh Thakur and Rakesh Pathania are said to be no longer in the contention for the Mandi and Kangra seats, respectively. New faces such as Chaman Kapoor and Bihari Lal Sharma have emerged as potential candidates for Mandi seat. Discussions for the Kangra seat have seen the names of Rajiv Bhardwaj, Trilok Kapoor and Ghanshyam Sharma being floated, hinting at potential surprises in the candidate selection process.
However, the urgency of the meeting was prompted by the requirement of panels from the parliamentary board. Nonetheless, a directive from Delhi has postponed further deliberations until after March 10, leaving room for potential alterations in the candidate list. Despite this, sources indicated that Saudan Singh had already forwarded the names to Delhi.
