Battle lines drawn for Himachal Assembly polls

Battle lines have been drawn for multi-cornered contest with 459 candidates remaining in the field for 68-member Himachal Assembly elections on Nov 4.

Shimla: Battle lines have been drawn for multi-cornered contests with 459 candidates remaining in the field for 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly going to polls on November 4. A triangular competition would be witnessed in Nadaun and Churah (SC) constituencies respectively while Rampur (SC), Sri Renukaji (SC) and Seraj and Jubbal and Kotkhai are posed for four-cornered contests. A maximum number of 16 candidates are in the fray from Dehra, followed by Dharamsala (14), Arki (11) and Mandi and Gagret (10 each). Fifteen constituencies each would witness five-cornered and six-cornered contests while seven candidates are in the field in thirteen constituencies, ten in eight constituencies and four in remaining constituencies. Top contenders -- Chief Minister P K Dhumal, former Chief Minister and HPCC president Virbhadra Singh and leader of the opposition in Vidhan Sabha Vidya Stokes -- are locked in a seven-cornered contest in Hamirpur, Shimla (Rural) and Theog. Dhumal is pitted against Natinder Thakur; Virbhadra Singh is facing BJP greenhorn Ishwar Rohal while Vidya Stokes is facing formidable rivals Rakesh Verma (BJP) and Rakesh Singha (CPI-M). PTI