SC battle of rebel Congress MLAs hold back BJP from declaring

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The rebellion by six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs and their subsequent disqualification from the Vidhan Sabha appears to have held back the BJP from announcing its candidates for Lok Sabha elections from Mandi and Kangra constituencies. The saffron party on Wednesday (March 13, 2024) renominated its sitting MPs Anurag Thakur from Hamirpur and Suresh Kashyap from Shimla seats.

The BJP is expected to announce its candidates from Mandi and Kangra after March 18 when the Supreme Court would take up the petition of the six Congress rebels against their disqualification from the Vidhan Sabha.

The Congress, meanwhile, has initiated discussions regarding potential candidates for the Shimla and Hamirpur Lok Sabha seats. Despite factionalism, the Congress retains a formidable presence in Mandi with incumbent MP Pratibha Singh, while in Hamirpur, the party has been struggling to match the stature of Anurag Thakur.

While political analysts view Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur as a strong BJP contender for the Mandi seat, concerns persist over pitting him in the Lok Sabha elections amid ongoing political crisis in Himachal.

In Kangra, the BJP has been considering alternatives due to incumbent MP Kishen Kapoor’s lack of desired activity, possibly leading to the cancellation of his ticket.

Rebel Congress MLA Sudhir Sharma emerges as a potential candidate, though discussions continue regarding other contenders like Rajiv Bhardwaj and Trilok Kapoor. The recent release of the BJP’s second candidate list hints at Kishen Kapoor’s ticket cancellation, prompting speculation about his response and potential withdrawal from the ticket race.

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