Tribune press service

Tribune press service

Shimla / Dharamsala, June 19

Congress began to prepare for the Mandi Lok Sabha and two Assembly by-elections and appointed observers.

AICC secretary and head of Himachal Sanjay Dutt has appointed observers for Mandi, Fatehpur in Kangra and Jubbal-Kotkhai in Shimla. Two AICC secretaries, Sanjay Dutt and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, will coordinate with them.

The leader of the Congress Legislative Assembly Party, Mukesh Agnihotri, as well as Asha Kumari and Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, both MPs, and former Minister Gangu Ram Musafir were appointed Mandi observers.

Jubbal Kotkhai’s observers are Ram Lal Thakur, Dhani Ram Shandil and Harshwardhan Chauhan, all MPs, and former MP Harsh Mahajan. Fatehpur observers are former ministers GS Bali and Chander Kumar and MP Rajender Rana.

Rajneesh Khimta, secretary general of the organization, will facilitate overall coordination among the observers.

The BJP has already appointed Bikram Singh Thakur, Minister of Industries, and Rakesh Pathania, Minister of Forests, as responsible and co-responsible for the by-election.

Sources said Sujjan Pathanis’ son Bhavani Singh Pathania was the favorite for the Fatehpur Congress ticket. The party intends to use the sympathy for the family to win the by-election. They said Sujjan’s family also enjoyed the tacit support of some Rajput BJP leaders in the region.

For the BJP, choosing between former MP Kirpal Singh Parmar and local BJP leader Baldev Thakur for the by-election is a difficult task. Parmar contested Fatehpur’s election in 2017, but lost due to internal feuds. Baldev Thakur, who ran as an independent, garnered more votes than Parmar. The party failed in the victory of Fatehpur despite the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had organized a rally in favor of Parmar.

The sources said the party could field a Brahmin. Previously, Shanta Kumar was the greatest Brahmin leader of the BJP in Kangra district. He had retired. There was not even a single Brahmin deputy in the Kangra BJP. Brahmins constitute a significant percentage of the electorate in the district.

Former BJP MP Rajan Sushant can compete as an independent. Rajan Sushant had left the BJP and joined the AAP. He has traveled extensively in the riding and met people.

They said the BJP was also facing anti-incumbents due to the second wave of coronavirus, rising unemployment and commodity prices.

BJP reflects on Brahmin candidate

• The party can present a Brahmin candidate
• Shanta Kumar was the greatest Brahmin leader of the BJP in Kangra, but he retired from politics
• There is not even a single Brahmin MP in the Kangra District BJP
• Brahmins constitute a significant percentage of the electorate in the district.