Rebellion stops BJP from finalising candidates in HP

Shimla, Oct 1: With rebellion brewing in more than a dozen constituencies after release of the first list of 45 candidates for Assembly polls in

, the

core committee failed to finalise candidates for remaining 23 seats and sent names to the High Command to take a final decision. The core committee met at Chandigarh under the chairmanship of Sat Pal Satti on Monday.

The Jwalamukhi constituency represented by Food and Supplies minister Romesh Dhawala has become bone of contention with Irrigation and Public Health minister Ravinder Singh Ravi adamant to contest from that seat. Dhawala is being backed by BJP Vice President Shanta Kumar while his rival Ravi has full support of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who wants Dhawala to shift to adjoining constituency of Dehra.

Similarly, the core committee was undecided in axing sitting MLAs Tejwant Singh Negi (Kinnaur), Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram (Bharmaur), former ministers Roop Singh Thakur (Sundernagar) and Dile Ram (Nachan), Inder Singh Thakur (Sarkaghat), Atma Ram (Rajgir) and Desh Raj (Indora).

PTI