Shimla: The ruling BJP in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday released the list of remaining six candidates for the November 12 assembly polls.
Five-time BJP MLA Ravinder Singh Ravi, a confidant of two-time chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was denied the party ticket, would contest from Jawalamukhi, while sitting MLA from Jawalamukhi Ramesh Dhawala has been given ticket from Dehra and Hoshiyaar Singh, who won as an Independent from Dehra in 2017 assembly polls and joined the BJP, has been denied the ticket.
Former MLA and MP Maheshwar Singh, scion of erstwhile Kullu estate, would contest from Kullu, while former ABVP state president Kaul Negi would contest from Rampur.
Two other BJP condidates are Maya Sharma (Barsar) and Ramkumar (Haroli).
Earlier, the BJP released the first list of 62 out of 68 candidates with many surprise seat changes of senior legislators, and 11 lawmakers not getting the party’s renomination.
Seats of sitting ministers — Suresh Bhardwaj and Rakesh Pathania — have been changed.
Five women candidates figure in the list, while 11 Scheduled Caste and eight Scheduled Tribe candidates have got the party’s nomination to enter the fray.
Bhardwaj seat was changed from his stronghold Shimla (Urban) to Kasumpti, the seat located on the suburbs of the state capital. Also, Pathania’s seat has changed from Nurpur to Fatehpur, both seats are located in Kangra, the largest district.
First-time Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who is leading the election campaign, has been retained from his stronghold Seraj in Mandi district.
The women candidates are Sarveen Choudhary from Shahpur, Indira Kapoor from Chamba, Reeta Dhiman from Indora, Reena Kashyap from Pachhad and Shashi Bala from Rohru.
The voting for the 68 Assembly seats will be held on November 12, and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.
The last date for the filing of nominations is October 25.
(IANS)
