New Delhi: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released its first list of 62 candidates for the assembly election in Himachal Pradesh, dropping 11 sitting legislators, including a cabinet minister, party sources said.
The House has 68 members. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has been fielded from his present constituency Seraj. The assembly election in the state will be held on November 12 and the last date of filing papers is October 25.
The BJP also changed the constituencies of two cabinet ministers: Suresh Bharadwaj and Rakesh Pathania. Bharadwaj, sitting law-maker from Shimla urban constituency, has been fielded from Kasumpti. Similarly, Pathania, sitting MLA from Nurpur, will fight from Fatehpur constituency.
The son of minister Mahendra Singh, legislator from Dharampur, has been replaced by his son Rajat Thakur.
Minister Mahendra Singh, MLA from Dharampur, has been replaced by his son Rajat Thakur. Nevertheless, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was not included in the list. Party sources said that the 78-year-old leader, whose son Anurag Thakur is a central minister, had conveyed to the party that he would not contest the election. There are eight candidates belonging to ST category, besides there are five women candidates.
