Follow Us
Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, October 20
Disgruntled senior Congress leader Rangila Ram Rao rebelled against the party in Sarkaghat after the high command denied him ticket.
The Congress has fielded Pawan Thakur from Sarkaghat because Rangila Ram Rao lost elections to BJP candidate Inder Singh two times in 2007 and 2012.
Rao convened a meeting of his supporters today to chalk out a strategy to pressure the high command. He threatened to contest as an independent candidate.
Rangila Ram Rao is considered close to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who is also the political adviser to the Chief Minister, while Pawan Thakur is considered close to Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur.
According to a party source, in Mandi district, a majority of new faces were allotted ticket over the recommendations of Kaul Singh, who is trying to establish his political stature for the Chief Minister candidate. According to the locals, the political influence of Rangila Ram Rao cannot be ruled out, who represented the constituency seven times since 1972 to 2003. He served on key posts in the party as well as Cabinet Minister.
Political analysts said if he would contest, it would hit the Congress candidate. They added that it would be interesting to see in the coming days that whether the Chief Minister would be able to persuade the disgruntled senior leader to support the Congress candidate or not, which would be a decisive factor for the Congress.
Talking to The Tribune, Rangila Ram Rao said it was disappointing that the party had ignored his seniority and preferred to choose new candidate.
“I have served the people of my constituency and they are urging me to contest the election at every cost. So, I have decided to jump into the fray and soon file the nomination for it,” he added.
6