In a bid to strengthen its hold in the state Assembly, the BJP has announced candidates for the three upcoming by-elections in Himachal Pradesh. As widely anticipated, the party has nominated all three former Independent MLAs who had resigned in March this year to join the BJP.
Hoshiyar Singh, who has twice been elected as an Independent MLA from Dehra constituency in Kangra, will contest from the same seat. Singh had joined the BJP alongside the other two legislators earlier this year. KL Thakur, a former BJP MLA who won in 2022 as an Independent from Nalagarh, has been nominated again from his seat.
From Hamirpur, ticket has been given to Ashish Sharma, another rebel turned BJP member who was elected independently from the constituency in the last polls. All three resignations from the Assembly had been accepted in June, leading to the announcement of by-elections on these seats.
The nominations were declared after approval from the BJP's Central Election Committee. It aims to strengthen its position in the 68-member House, where the party currently has 27 seats against Congress' 38. If successful, the three ex-Ind MLAs will help the BJP enhance its numbers in view of any future floor tests or issues.
The bypolls will be a litmus test for the popularity of the new entrants within the party fold. It remains to be seen if voters will endorse their decision to switch allegiance or give them the same confidence as independent candidates. Either way, the by-elections promise to make the contest more interesting in Himachal Pradesh.
