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Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, January 10
Race for Congress ticket from Kangra and Hamirpur parliamentary constituencies has begun. This week the Nagrota Bagwan bloc Congress passed a resolution seeking nomination of former minister and senior Congress leader GS Bali from Kangra parliamentary constituency for the forthcoming elections.
Bali, when contacted, however, said that these were just the sentiments of the party workers from Nagrota Bagwan and it was for the party high command to decide the party candidate.
From Kangra parliamentary constituency supporters of both GS Bali and former minister Sudhir Sharma have been raising the name of their respective leader for Congress ticket. Both Sudhir Sharma and Bali are Brahmin leaders. Earlier, the Congress candidate from Kangra was an OBC leader Chander Kumar.
In BJP also certain leaders were pressing for their candidature. Trilok Kapoor, national vice president of the ST Morcha of the BJP, has been openly lobbying for the BJP ticket from Kangra. His posters dot various parts of Kangra district. His supporters have organized press conferences and demanded that the BJP ticket from Kangra parliamentary should be given to the Gaddi leader.
However, a majority of party leaders believe that veteran party leader Shanta Kumar, who is sitting BJP MP from Kangra, would be the best bet despite his age. Shanta Kumar is an octogenarian and many feel that the party might relax age criteria in his case keeping in view the winning ability criteria.
From Hamirpur parliamentary constituency, Abhishek Rana, son of Rajinder Rana, sitting Congress MLA from Sujjanpur Assembly constituency, is staking his claim for Congress ticket. Rajinder Rana shot into fame in the last Assembly elections defeating BJP CM candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had endorsed the candidature of Abhishek Rana from Hamirpur parliamentary constituency at a rally organized in Sujjanpur.
Abhishek has already started touring the Hamirpur constituency. This week Abhishek visited the Haroli and Gagret Assembly constituencies in Una district where he was accorded warm welcome. In Haroli he was welcomed by none other than the CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri.
Apart from Abhishek, none of the Congress leaders was openly lobbying for party ticket from Hamirpur.
In case fielded by Congress, Abhishek, a greenhorn, would most likely be pitted against the three-time BJP MP Anurag Thakur.
Greenhorn enjoys senior leader’s support
From Hamirpur parliamentary constituency, Abhishek Rana, son of Rajinder Rana sitting Congress MLA from Sujjanpur Assembly constituency, is staking his claim for Congress ticket. Rajinder Rana shot into fame in the last Assembly elections defeating BJP CM candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had endorsed the candidature of Abhishek Rana from Hamirpur parliamentary constituency at a rally organised in Sujjanpur
In Haroli Assembly constituency, Abhishek was welcomed by none other than the CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri
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