Congress picks three names for Himachal assembly by-polls, fields turncoat Ranjit Rana from Sujanpur

{Himachal by-polls}

After multiple rounds of discussions and surveys, the ruling Congress announced candidates for three of the six assembly seats where by-polls will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections on June 1.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday approved the candidates — fielding Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) turncoat Captain Ranjit Singh Rana (retd) from Sujanpur, Vivek Sharma from Kutlehar and Rakesh Kalia from Gagret.

Ranjit Singh Rana, a close aide of former chief minister (CM) and senior BJP party leader Prem Kumar Dhumal joined Congress on Wednesday, making it evident that he would be the party’s likely pick to take on Rajendera Rana from Sujanpur. He had lost the 2022 assembly elections to Rajender by a slender margin of 399 votes.

Rajender Rana, who shot to limelight in the 2017 assembly elections after ousting Dhumal, his own political mentor, is one amongst the six Congress MLAs who cross-voted in favour of BJP during the February Rajya Sabha elections, sending the state government into a crisis.

Later, all six Congress MLAs were disqualified under the provision of the anti-defection law. All six — Rajinder from Sujanpur, Sudhir Sharma from Dharamshala, Devender Bhutto from Kutlehar, Inderdutt Lakhanpal from Barsar, Chaitanya Sharma from Gagret and Ravi Thakur from Lahaul Spiti — have joined the BJP and been fielded as candidates for the by-polls.

Congress’ pick from Kutlehar, Vivek Sharma, will take on Devender Bhutto, who had beaten BJP heavy-weight and former minister Virender Kanwar in the 2022 assembly elections. He is the son of former Congress leader and three-time MLA Ram Nath Sharma.

From Gagret, the Congress has fielded former MLA Rakesh Kalia. Born in Chintpurni, Kalia was first elected to assembly in 2003 on a Congress ticket. He won the seat again in 2007 after that the seat was reserved for Scheduled Caste after delimitation. He also won the 2012 assembly election from Gagret.

Congress is yet to announce the candidates for the Dharamshala, Lahaul Spiti and Badsar assembly segments.

The party has already fielded public works department minister Vikramaditya Singh against actor-turned-politician Kangna Ranaut from Mandi and Vinod Sultanpuri from Shimla against to take on BJP’s Suresh Kashyap in the Lok Sabha polls.

The party is likely to announce the remaining two Lok Sabha and three assembly candidates within the next few days, a party functionary said.