Shimla, May 31: Electioneering has gained momentum for the June eight polls to the three tribal assembly constituencies of Himachal Pradesh where a multi-cornered contest is on the cards. The Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Bharmaur tribal constituencies were snowbound when rest of the state went to polls on February 26 and polling in these constituencies was deferred. Congress, BJP and Himachal Vikas Congress of Sukh Ram are contesting all the seats while the CPI (M) has fielded candidate only from Kinnaur constituency.
There are four candidates in Kinnaur, five in Bharmaur and the maximum eight in Lahaul-Spiti.
As many as 298 polling booths have been set up with 57 of them declared hypersensitive and 40 sensitive.

The voters of Kinnaur and other two tribal segments have been favouring the ruling party in the past four elections.
The BJP-HVC which came to power in march 1998, won all the three tribal seats in June 1998 polls while the Congress swept the polls in these areas in 1993 mid term polls.
The Congress won all the three seats in 1985 mid term polls but the BJP wrested two out of them in 1990 polls.

With the Congress in power in the state, a keen triangular contest has emerged in Kinnaur where party candidate Jagat Singh Negi and Tejwant Singh Negi of BJP are making efforts to wrest the seat. HVC candidate S C Negi also has strong pockets of influence in this Farflung constituency spreading right upto Tibet border. The CPI (M) candidate Sukhdev is also in the fray but his influence was limited. Bureau Report