Over 346 candidates filed their papers on Tuesday on the last day of filing nominations for the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls scheduled to be held on November 12. As many as 81 candidates filed their papers in Mandi district, followed by Kangra 72, Chamba 34, Sirmour 35, Shimla 29, Hamirpur 26, Solan 23, Bilaspur 23, Kullu 19, Kinnaur 3 and Lahaul-Spiti one filed their papers today.
With this, the total number of candidates who have filed their nominations for the 68 seats of the state Assembly has crossed 600-mark.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on October 27 while candidates will be able to withdraw their nominations till October 29.
Former minister Major Vijay Singh Mankotia has left the Congress and joined BJP today in the presence of JP Nadda. In another development, former MLA of Garget Rakesh Kalia, who also remained secretary of All India Congress Committee joined the Bharatiya Janata Party today. He was annoyed because he was not chosen as a Congress candidate from the Gagret assembly seat.
Former Minister from Chintpurni Kuldeep Kumar, who remained state president of Congress also rebelled and filed his nomination from the Chintpurni Legislative Assembly seat as an independent candidate.
Meanwhile, BJP high command has nominated Narottam Thakur as its candidate for Kullu Sadar assembly seat in place of Maheshwar Singh at the last moment on the last date of filling of nomination papers.
Maheshwar’s candidature has been dropped by the party from the Kullu assembly seat after his son filed his nomination to contest as an independent candidate from Banjaar assembly.
Meanwhile, another BJP leader from Kullu Sadar, Ram Singh also filed his nomination as an independent candidate today.