Shimla/New Delhi, June 14
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidates for the upcoming assembly by-elections in Himachal Pradesh.
The Central Election Committee of the BJP has given nod to three candidates who were previously Independent MLAs and have recently joined the party. Candidates are Hoshiyar Singh Chambyal for Dehra assembly, Ashish Sharma for Hamirpur and Krishan Lal Thakur for Nalagarh assembly seat.
These candidates, formerly Independent MLAs, have had a complex political journey. Suspended by the BJP for contesting against the party’s official candidates in the 2022 assembly elections, they won as Independents. Their return to the BJP comes after they supported the party in the Rajya Sabha polls on February 27, 2024.
The upcoming by-elections were triggered by the resignation of these three MLAs on March 23, 2024.
The Speaker accepted their resignations two months later. This move was part of a strategic agreement with the BJP, which had assured them candidacy in the by-elections if they resigned voluntarily.
Their re-entry into the BJP was marked by significant controversy. The Congress party accused them of corruption, alleging they accepted money to vote for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls.
In response, the MLAs filed defamation cases against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who made the allegations.
Additionally, an FIR was filed against Ashish Sharma and father of a former Congress MLA Chaitanya Sharma Rakesh Sharma for allegedly conspiring to destabilize the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government and attempting to influence the Rajya Sabha elections.
Despite these controversies, the BJP has chosen to back these candidates, highlighting their recent loyalty and alignment with the party’s interests. Also their nominations are seen as a move by the BJP to consolidate its position in Himachal Pradesh assembly.
The by-elections will serve as a critical test for these candidates and their renewed association with the BJP.
Congress party is yet to pick up the candidates as nomination would start from tomorrow and election is scheduled on July 10, 2024.
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