The Hindu : Other States News : BJP, Congress battle it out in Shimla

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Sunday, Dec 16, 2007
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BJP, Congress battle it out in Shimla

Kanwar Yogendra

THEOG (SHIMLA): Despite best efforts by the Bharatiya Janata Party to nail it enemy in its fortress, the Congress is once again set to send majority of the sitting MLAs into the thirteenth Vidhan Sabha. The parliamentary seat comprises the south zone of the hill State and has constituencies of the districts of Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur.

There is not a single BJP member from Shimla district in the present Vidhan Sabha.

Virbhadra Singh, who had a cakewalk from Rohru area is expected to repeat the feat, though there are chances of his winning margin coming down. Campaigning hard in the area is BJP leader Kushi Ram Balnatha. The other two candidates from the BSP and the LJP are not of much significance there.

In Kumarsain, State Power Minister Vidya Stokes has the upper hand. She is, however, facing stiff resistance by a former youth Congress leader .

The Congress ticket in Rampur has been given to Nand Lal a former SPG staffer in Sonia Gandhi’s security. Another Virbhadra supporter and sitting independent MLA Rakesh Verma from Theog, who was made an associate member of the Congress in the Assembly, was denied ticket this time also.

Rohit Thakur, grand son of former Chief Minister Ram Lal is facing a tough challenge from former Horticulture Minister and BJP leader Narender Bragta in Jubbal Kotkhai constituency.

The Chopal constituency is also witnessing a close battle between an associate Congress MLA Subhash Manglate and Radha Raman Shastri an old warhorse of the BJP.

The urban constituencies of Shimla main and Kusumpati are witnessing a very close three cornered contest. The CPI(M) is all set to wrest the seat and has even come out with a special manifesto for the capital town. Former BJP president and Rajya Sabha member Suresh Bhardwaj is also in the fray and is leaving no stone unturned to secure a victory .

The Congress prospects have been marred this time by youth Congress leader Ved Prakash who is fighting as a BSP candidate.

Mixed results are expected to come from the districts of Solan and Sirmaur. The two sitting MLAs and former BJP Ministers Rajiv Bindal from Solan main and Hari Narayan Sani from Nalagarh are still ahead of their Congress rivals. The battle for the Arki constituency, having a maximum number of nine candidates, could end up in a triangular fight. Prakash Karad, son of a personal staff of AICC president Sonia Gandhi, was preferred over the sitting Congress MLA and Deputy Speaker Dharam Pal, who is now fighting as an independent. The two communist parties, the BSP, the LJP and other independents are hardly in a position to make any impact here. The neighbouring Sirmaur district with five seats is expected to witness a tight battle.

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