India News | Congress Candidate for Nalagarh Assembly By-election Files Nomination; Sukhu Attacks BJP

Shimla, Jun 19 (PTI) Congress candidate Hardeep Singh Bawa on Wednesday filed his nomination for Nalagarh assembly by-election, with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urging voters to reject the former Independent MLAs who are seeking re-election on BJP tickets.

Bawa would face former Independent legislator and now the BJP candidate, K L Thakur, who has been a two-time MLA from Nalagarh. He won in 2012 on the BJP ticket and in 2022 as an Independent.

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By-elections to three assembly seats of Dehra, Hamirpur and Nalagarh, which fell vacant after the resignation of three independent MLAs would be held on July 10.

These MLAs had voted in favour of the BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan along with six Congress rebels in the February 27 Rajya Sabha polls and later joined the BJP on March 23.

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Addressing a rally after Bawa filed his nomination, Sukhu alleged that the three former Independent MLAs had "sold" their conscience to the BJP.

"We have not given the ticket to a 'dhanvan' (a rich person) but to a 'gunman' (a person with good qualities)," he said.

Questioning the former MLAs' decision to resign and seek re-election, Sukhu said that they could have supported the BJP even without resigning but "money played a role".

He alleged former MLA Thakur was lying that his work was not being done. Sukhu also asked how he would get the work done when the BJP was not in power.

Former chief minister "Jai Ram Thakur would again come to you and again tell a lie that the BJP will form the government but the Congress government is stable with the support of 38 MLAs and would complete its full term," the chief minister said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)