M A I N   N E W S

408 to vie for 68 HP seats
60 opt out of contest on last day of withdrawal
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 10
As many as 60 candidates opted out of the fray on the last day of withdrawals, leaving 408 contestants in the field for 68 Assembly constituencies in the state. In the last assembly elections 369 candidates had entered the arena.

While polling for 65 constituencies will take place on February 26, the election to the three snow-bound tribal segments of Bharmour, Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur will be held in June.

In all 38 candidates were left in the field for the eight seats of the Shimla district. The maximum number of eight candidates are in Chopal, followed by seven in Kusumpati constituency and five in the Theog segment. There are four candidates each in the fray in Rampur, Jubbal-Kotkhai, Kumarsain and Shimla. The two Congress rebels, Mr Pramod Sharma in Kumarsain and Mr Sohan Lal in Kusumpati, refused to withdraw their nomination papers despite pressure from senior party leaders.

There will a straight contest between Congress stalwart Virbhadra Singh, and his traditional BJP rival, Mr Khushi Ram Balnatah, in the Rohru seat.

Among other prominent candidates in the battle for the ballot include Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Union Communications Minister Sukh Ram, state BJP President Jai Krishen Sharma, state Congress President Vidya Stokes and Assembly Speaker Gulab Singh Thakur.

MANDI: On the last day of withdrawal, eight Independents withdrew from the election scene in the district comprising 10 constituencies, leaving 58 in the fray.

Three Independents, Mr Sher Singh, Mr Hari Singh and Mr Yugal Kapoor withdrew their names from the Sadar constituency. Rajat and Balwant, both Independents, withdrew from the Dharampur constituency. One Independent each from Karsog, Sundernagar and Nachan, namely Het Ram, Tek Chand and Dhaneshwar, respectively, withdrew their names.

UNA: The following is the list of candidates left in the fray in Una district: Gagret: Mr Balbir Singh (BJP), Mr Kuldeep Kumar (Congress, Mr Prem Bhardwaj (HVC), Mr Lekhraj (BSP), Mr Tarsem Lal (Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha), Mr Parkash Chand (NCP); Chintpurni: Mr Parveen Sharma (BJP), Mr Rakesh Kalia (Congress), Mr Ram Das, Mr Ajit Kumar (Samajwadi Janta Party), Mr Raj Kumar Jaswal (Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha), Mr Ramesh Chand (NCP), Mr Rajinder Sharma (Independent); Santokhgarh: Mr Jaikishan Sharma (BJP), Mr Mukesh Agnihotri (Congress), Mr Vijay Kumar Joshi (HVC), Mr Pramod Kumar, Mr Surinder Singh Rana (NCP), Mr Prem Bhatia (Lok Janshakti Party), Mr Jagroop Singh (Independent), Mr Jagit Singh, (Independent), Mr Lekh Raj (Independent); Una: Mr Satpal Satti (BJP), Mr Varinder Nath Gautam (Congress), Mr Hem Raj (BSP), Mr Kushal Singh Sabharwal (Samajwadi Janta Party); Kutlehar: Mr Varinder Singh Kanwar (BJP), Ms Saroj Thakur (Congress), Mr Desh Raj Modgil (BSP), Mr Mahinder Pal (Independent), Mr Ramdas Malangar (Independent) and Mr Ajay Kumar (Independent).

CHAMBA: After the withdrawal of one candidate belonging to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Mr Kaloo Ram Goriya, from the Bhattiyat Assembly constituency, 26 candidates are now left the fray in the five Assembly segments of Chamba district, according to Mr Rahul Anand, District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner of Chamba; Bhattiyat: Mr Kishori Lal (BJP), Mr Shiv Kumar Upmanyu (Cong) Mr Kuldeep Singh Pathania (Ind), Mr Bhupender Singh Chauhan (Ind); Banikhet: Mrs Renu Chadha (BJP), Mrs Asha Kumari (Cong), Mr Shaukat Ali (HVC), Mr Rajinder Kumar (CPI), Mr Bodh Raj (Ind), Mr Hem Raj Chandel (Ind), Mr Vias Dev (Ind); Rajnagar (SC): Mr Mohan Lal (BJP), Mr Surender Bhardwaj (Congress), Mr Nand Kumar Chauhan (HVC), Mr Karam Singh (LJP), Mr Ajay Kumar (Ind); Chamba: Mr Balkrishan Chauhan (BJP), Mr Harsh Mahajan (Congress), Mr D.P. Malhotra (HVC), Mr Nand Lal (LJP), Mr Chander Mani (Ind); Bharmour (ST): Mr Tulsi Ram (BJP), Mr Thakur Singh (Cong), Mr Kartar Singh (HVC), Mr Iaram Singh (Ind) and Mr Ram Prashad (Ind).

BILASPUR: Two candidates from Bilaspur (Sadar) constituency, Mr Bambar Thakur and Mr Dinanath, both Independents, withdrew from the contest on Monday. A total of 21 candidates are now in the fray from four constituencies in the district — Bilaspur (Sadar): Mr Jagat Prakash Nadda (BJP), Mr Tilakraj Sharma (Congress), Mr Baldev Singh Thakur (HVC), Mr Dharam Singh (LJP) and Mr Naresh Kumar Pandit (Independent); Ghumarwin: Mr Karam Dev Dharmani (BJP), Mr Kashmir Singh Thakur (Congress), Mr Gian Chand Rattan (HVC), Mr Dharam Singh (BSP), and Mr Z.A. Bhuto; Gehadwin: Mr Rikhi Ram Kendal (BJP), Ms Roop Rani (Congress), Mr Biru Ram Kishore, Mr Dharmender Kumar (Independent), and Mr Rajesh Kumar (LJP); Kotkehloor: Mr Randhir Sharma (BJP), Mr Ram Lal Thakur (Congress), Mr Krishna Kumar Kaushal (HVC), Mr Durga Dass (BSP), Mr Rattan Lal (CPI), and Mr Dharmender Singh (Independent).

PAONTA SAHIB: Four candidates withdrew their nomination papers from Shilai and Paonta-Doon constituency on Monday. They are Mr Rajinder Sharma, Mr Shamsher Ali and Mr Divendra Chowdhary from Paonta-Doon and Mr Rajendra Negi from Shilai. Those in the fray are Mr Rattan Singh (Congress), Mr Sukh Ram (BJP), Mr Kirnesh Jung (Him Loktantrik Morcha) and Mr Rajinder Mohan (HVC) from Paonta-Doon and Mr Harsh Chowhan (Congress), Mr Jagat Singh Negi (Independent), Mr Dalip Singh Tomar (BJP) and Mr Sita Ram (HVC) from Shilai.

DHARAMSALA: Eight candidates withdrew from the contest from different constituencies in Kangra district on Monday. Mr Vivek Pathania, Independent, withdrew his candidature from Jaswan and Ms Veena Sharma, Independent, from Jwalamukhi. In Nurpur Mr Harjit Singh, Independent candidate, also withdrew his nominations. Mr Onkar Bharti in Dharamsala, Mr Puran Chand and Mr Mehar Chand in Baijnath, and Mr Pritam Chand and Mr Sanjeev Kumar, all Independents, withdrew their nominations.

KANGRA: Both Kangra and Nagrota Bagwan constituencies will witness an eight-cornered contest. In Kangra constituency, Mr Rattan Jagat Amba (BJP), Mr Surender Kumar (Congress), Ms Pushpa Choudhary (National Democratic Congress), Mr Himal Chand (CPI), Mr Dharminder (Lok Janshakti Party), Mr Deep Kumar (All-India Hindu Mahasabha), Mr Dhaulat Ram Choudhary (HVC) and Mr Vidya Sagar (Independent) are in the fray in Nagrota Bagwan. Mr Ram Chand Bhatia (BJP), Mr G.S. Bali (Congress), Mr Chandu Lal (BSP), Mr Vikram Singh (NDC), Mr Mulk Raj (Lok Janshakti Party), Ms Sushma Bhel (Samajwadi Party), Mr Ramesh Kumar (HVC) and Lt-Col (retd) Shakti Chand Choudhary (Independent are in the fray.