BJP high command to decide candidate for Hamirpur bypolls: Dhumal

Hamirpur, Apr 25 (UNI) Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said BJP high command will decide on the party's candidate from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to the polls on June two.

''It is up to the BJP high command to decide the party's candidate for the Lok Sabha by-polls from Hamirpur constituency,'' he told UNI here.

Refusing to say anything more on the issue, Mr Dhumal expressed optimism that the party would continue to maintain its hold over the seat, which fell vacant after the Supreme Court upheld the Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to expel Suresh Chandel from the Parliament following his involvement in ''cash for query scam''.

Hamirpur seat consists of seventeen assembly segments spread over four districts of Hamirpur, Una, Bilaspur and Dehra revenue sub division of Kangra district.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Suresh Chandel had defeated present state Forest Minister Ram Lal Thakur by a slender margin of 1,625 votes after taking lead in 11 assembly segments as against six by the Congress.

UNI