Shimla:The BJP on Tuesday dropped the candidature of former Himachal Pradesh BJP president and three-time MP, Maheshwar Singh, from the erstwhile Kullu royal family as his son was in the fray as an Independent from other seat.
The BJP has now given the ticket to Narottam Singh from Kullu.
Maheshwar Singh, scion of the erstwhile Kullu royal family, has been denied the ticket as he failed to convince his son Hiteshwar Singh to withdraw as an Independent candidate from the Banjar assembly seat in Kullu district.
The party fielded sitting legislator Surender Shourie from Banjar.
Maheshwar Singh along with former assembly speaker Radha Raman Shastri and two former ministers — Shyama Sharma and Mohinder Sofat — had resigned from the BJP ahead of the 2012 assembly elections.
They formed the Himachal Lokhit Party under Maheshwar Singh’s leadership and contested the assembly polls, winning a seat.
Two years later the Himachal Lokhit Party merged with the BJP.
Polling in Himachal Pradesh will take place on November 12, while the counting of ballots on December 8. The last date for the withdrawal of nomination is October 29.
A seasoned journalist with over two decades of experience, Vishal writes on a wide range of subjects which include biodiversity, climate change and links between environment & development. He also covers politics and other developments in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. He lives in Chandigarh & Shimla.
