Himachal Election: BJP Releases First List Of Candidates, 11 MLAs Denied Tickets, 23 New Faces

In a bid to refurbish the party's image before going to the crucial state assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied tickets to 11 sitting MLAs and fielded 23 new faces besides shifting two ministers to other constituencies and dropping one cabinet minister.

Sixty two names have been finalised by the party ,out of a total 68 constituencies for which the list was released this morning.

Senior most minister—who ranked number two in the  cabinet Mohinder Singh has been denied ticket but his son Rajat Thakur has been brought in at his place from Dharampur in Mandi district.

Mandi, the second largest district, is the home of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur where the BJP had won nine out of 10 assembly seats in the 2017 poll. It will be a new challenge for Thakur to prove his popularity in the November 8 assembly polls.

He will be contesting from Seraj, his stronghold since 1993, when he was elected for the first time and never lost thereafter. The list of candidates has his strong stamp.Thakur is set to file his nomination papers during the day .The party proposes to put-up a major show of strength there and kick-start the campaign on its slogan "Riwaaz badlenge" (change the custom) of alternating governments,after five year rule. 

Thakur is also BJP’s Chief Ministerial face for the first-time ,a generational change in the party after veteran politician Prem Kumar Dhumal, who had led the BJP to the polls in 2017 but missed the Chief Ministerial position since he lost the poll despite his party registering a splendid victory .

The BJP had won 44 seats in the 2017 polls against Congress’s 21. One seat was one by the CPM while two independents also were elected to the 68 member House.

Just before the BJP central Election Committee meeting in New Delhi Dhumal,78 announced that he will not be contesting the poll. This brought a much-awaited relief to Jai Ram Thakur.

Dhumal was keen to avenge his 2017 defeat but apparently was told by the party to play as “margdarshak” (Guide) rather than contesting the forthcoming polls.

Realising the fact that anti-incumbency could detail its bid to recapture power, the party has dropped a record 11 sitting MLAs,four of them in Chief Minister’s home district.

Anil Sharma, a former minister and son of former telecom minister Pt Sukh Ram has been given ticket from Mandi for the second time,after he had joined the BJP in 2017 and also was made a minister.

However, following his son Aashray Sharma joining the Congress ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls and contesting Mandi against the BJP ‘s official nominee late Ram Swaroop Sharma, he had to quit his cabinet post in the BJP government.

The party has once again banked on him.

Two cabinet ministers, who have been shifted to other constituencies, include veteran party leader Suresh Bhardwaj. Instead of Shimla (Urban),his stronghold has been moved to Kasumpti –a strong Congress fortress.

Rakesh Pathania, sitting forest minister from Nurpur will now contest from Fatehpur. His BJP challenger Ranveer Singh Tikka will be fielded from Nurpur against former Congress MLA Ajay Mahajan—son of Congress stalwart late Sat Mahajan.

There will be five women in the fray from the BJP who include cabinet minister Sraveen Chaudhary (Shahpur) Indira Kapoor (Chamba), Rita Dhiman ( Indira) ,Reena Kashyap (Pacchad) and Shashi Bala (Rohru).

One of striking features of the poll, which could go against the BJP, is it's compromise on party dynasts.Till now, the party had been attacking the congress for dynasty but has favoured a cabinet minister to get a ticket for his son.

Chetan Bragta—son of former horticulture minister late Narinder Bragta though was denied ticket in 2021 bypoll ,compelling him to contest as independent has now been fielded from Jubbal-Kotkhai to encash on the legacy of his father.

Dr Anil Dhiman,son of former education minister I D Dhiman was denied ticket in 2017. He is back to contest Bhoraj (SC) where a sitting woman MLA has been dropped. Former minister Anil Sharma is another dynast in the fray.

The new faces include Dr Janak Raj, a medical super-specialist (Neurosurgery) fielded from Bharmour-a tribal constituency ,Trilok Jamwal, CM’s advisor and party general secretary from Bilaspur, home town of national BJP president J P Nadda, Ajay Shayam,an organisational man from Theog, Ranveer Singh Nikka in Nurpur (Kangra) , Puran Chand Thakur from Drang fielded against former congress minister Kaul Singh Thakur , Trilok Kapoor—a gaddi leader from Palampur and Rakesh Chaudhary from Dharamshala.

Two turn-coats Pawan Kajal,a Congress working president who had joined the BJP ,will be fielded from Kangra and Lakhwinder Rana ,another congress MLA ,will contest Nalagarh.

Decisions on six constituencies have been kept pending .This also include Haroli, constituency of Mukesh Agnihotri, leader of opposition.

Ravinder Ravi ,a  staunch loyalist of Prem Kumar Dhumal and former minister, has not been considered as instead an independent Hoshiar Singh, brought to the BJP by the Chief Minister before the poll, has got the BJP ticket. There is a possibility of him joining the Congress.