Congress considers choices for seats in Kangra and Hamirpur

In order to prevent Union Minister Anurag Thakur from receiving a walkover, the Congress is now considering names for the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. The party’s top leadership is eager to draft a formidable opponent against Thakur.

Talks for fielding Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri have taken place at party meetings here and in Delhi. According to sources, Agnihotri had indicated that he was hesitant to run for office, citing personal grievances after his wife’s passing.

Astha Agnihotri, the daughter of Agnihotri, was also making waves, but some thought she was a weak opponent for the four-time Hamirpur MP. According to the insiders, Agnihotri may put up a good fight against Thakur, but fielding a rookie would be like delivering Thakur the chair on a silver platter. It was previously reported that Satpal Raizada, a former Una MLA, was practically finished with his campaign. He is eager to run for office and is a close confidant of the CM. Furthermore, Vinod Sultanpuri of Shimla and Vikramaditya Singh of Mandi, two current MLAs, have already been nominated by the Congress. It is still possible that Agnihotri will be selected for the team.

In a similar vein, the party is unsure about the Kangra nominee. It is anticipated that by April 20, the candidates for both seats will be decided. Congress cadres are not thrilled with the delay in ticket issuance since the BJP has started its campaign earlier than expected.

For the Kangra seat, Asha Kumari, a six-time Dalhousie MLA and former minister, has been making waves. Given the strong caste dynamics in that area, the party may benefit by fielding a Rajput, who make up a sizable portion of the vote. Brahmin Rajeev Bhardwaj has been fielded by the BJP to run in his first election.