BJP Releases First List Of 62 Candidates For Himachal Pradesh Polls

The BJP on Wednesday released its first list of 62 candidates for the polls to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly, fielding Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur from his current constituency Saraj.

The party has introduced new names in 11 seats. One of these seats include that of a cabinet minister. It has also changed the seats of two ministers, Suresh Bharadwaj and Rakesh Pathania.

Bharadwaj, a senior BJP leader in the state and a sitting MLA from Shimla Urban constituency, has been fielded from Kasumpti, while Nurpur MLA Pathania has been given a ticket from the neighbouring Fatehpur.

Minister Mahendra Singh, MLA from Dharampur, has been replaced by his son Rajat Thakur.

Former two-time chief minister and veteran party leader Prem Kumar Dhumal had announced his retirement from electoral politics. He had lost election from Sujanpur constituency in 2017 by a narrow margin, even when the party won the elections under his leadership.

The list also features five women candidates, while opposition Congress has named three women among the 46 candidates it has announced so far.

The BJP's list was finalised during Monday's meeting of the party's Central Election Committee, whose members include Prime Minister Narendra Modi among other senior leaders.

Assembly polls in the state are scheduled for November 12 and the last date for filing nominations is October 25.

(with inputs from PTI)