BJP, Cong bank on sitting MLAs to win three LS seats in HP

The BJP and the Congress, which have fielded their sitting MLAs as Lok Sabha candidates, are banking on their popularity to win three of the four seats in Himachal Pradesh going to polls in the last phase of the general elections.

The four seats in the hill state are among the 59 parliamentary constituencies going to polls on Sunday.

While the Congress has fielded three sitting MLAs as candidates, the BJP has fielded two state legislators as nominees for the Lok Sabha elections.

If any of the state legislators wins in the parliamentary elections, Himachal Pradesh will see by-polls within six months.

Denying tickets to its sitting MPs Shanta Kumar and Virender Kashyap, the BJP has fielded its Dharamshala MLA Kishan Kapoor and Pachhad MLA Suresh Kashyap for the Kangra and Shimla Lok Sabha seats respectively.

While Kapoor is pitted against Congress' Kangra MLA Pawan Kumar Sejal from the Kangra parliamentary constituency, Kashyap is contesting against the opposition party's Solan MLA Dhani Ram Shandil from Shimla.

The Congress has fielded its Sri Naina Deviji MLA Ram Lal Thakur from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat against former BCCI president and BJP's Anurag Thakur.

The four seats -- Mandi, Shimla (SC), Kangra and Hamirpur -- are expected to see a direct contest between the two national parties.There are a total of 45 candidates in the fray on the four seats.

When asked why Congress fielded three MLAs for Lok Sabha elections ignoring several applicants for tickets, Himachal Pradesh Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore said the party high command took into consideration "winnability" before finalising candidates.

Pachhad BJP MLA Suresh Kashyap said, "The party keeps on changing responsibility of its workers from time to time."