Himachal byelections: Congress panel leaves ticket allotment to Sonia Gandhi

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 2

As expected, the Congress State Election Committee today passed a single-line resolution, authorising AICC working president Sonia Gandhi to take the final decision on ticket allotment for the byelections to the Mandi Lok Sabha and three Assembly seats scheduled for October 30.

HPCC president Kuldeep Rathore, AICC secretary Sanjay Dutt and CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri attended the meeting that deliberated on the probable candidates for the byelections.

Rathore added that he would leave for Delhi to discuss the probable candidates with the central leadership.

Pratibha Singh in race for Mandi seat

All eyes are set on the Mandi seat where Pratibha Singh, former MP and wife of Virbhadra Singh, has expressed her desire to contest the byelection. She has represented Mandi twice but Ashray Sharma, grandson of former Telecommunication Minister Sukh Ram, too, is keen to fight the byelection.

The candidates for the Jubbal-Kotkhai and Fatehpur Assembly seats are almost clear. The candidature of Rohit Thakur, two-time former MLA and grandson of former Chief Minister Ram Lal Thakur, is considered strong. Similarly, Bhawani Singh Pathania, son of former minister Sujan Singh Pathania, is said to be certain to get the ticket.

Sanjay Awasthy is the frontrunner in Arki though Baldev Thakur has also staked his claim for the Congress ticket. He is the strongest candidate; he had unsuccessfully contested the 2012 Assembly elections.