SHIMLA: BJP has declared its candidates on 68 seats. The party has fielded Neelam Nayyar from Chamba instead of Indira Kapoor declared earlier, and has fielded BJP estranged leaders- Ravinder Ravi from Jawalamukhi and Ramesh Dhawala from Dehra  thereby queering the election pitch for its main rivals from Congress and AAP for the ensuing state assembly elections.

BJP has  fielded Maheshwar Singh from Kullu Sadar who would face Congress sitting MLA Sundar Thakur. Maheshwar Singh faces music from his party rival and a ticket seeker, Ram Singh. 

To take on leader of the opposition in Vidhan Sabha Mukesh Agnihotri in Haroli Una district, BJP has fielded Prof Ramkumar, a new comer and clean face.

BJP seeks to change 'Riwaj'  in Haroli cashing in on the anti-incumbency factor against Agnihotri and two big projects - the Bande Matram Express launched from Una and Medical Device Park project , foundation of which was laid down by the Prime Minister Narender Modi early this month.    

BJP has finally fielded Prof PK Dhumal's supporter Ravinder Singh Ravi from Jawalamukhi not from Dehra, where he had wished to contest.

The Party had instead given ticket  to Ramesh Dhawala, who had sought  to contest from Jawalamukhi not from Dehra, revealed party sources.

This has baffled analysts as BJP had changed its strategy in Kangra by changing tickets on over eight seats.   

In a bid to beat anti-incumbency on "14 weak seats",  BJP dumped 11 sitting MLAs, changed seats of two ministers- Suresh Bhardwaj and Rakesh Pathania and has  fielded son of a minister from Dharampur.  

BJP  has tried its luck on eight ST candidates and 11 SC candidates. The party has fielded five woman candidates this time.  

BJP parliamentary board met under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda in Delhi late last night.

In Hamirpur district also, BJP has complicated the scene on the ground. 

It has fielded Capt Ranjeet Singh, a new comer,  from Sujanpur where the former Chief Minister Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal had also expressed desire to contest to avenge his defeat in 2017 from Congress candidate Rajinder Singh Rana. 

But BJP has relieved Dhumal from electoral politics. This may sound an end of a Dhumal era in Himachal Politics. 

None of Dhumal's  supporters - Ravinder Ravi, Gulab Singh Thakur, Col Inder Singh,  except Chetan Bragta, son of late Narender Bragta were given tickets this time. Chetan as rebel  had faced defeat from Rohit Thakur in the last by-election in 2021.   

This, in turn, has revealed the BJP National Chief Nadda and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur have got an upper hand in deciding the BJP tickets this time. 

The biggest surprise came in Shimla urban where BJP shifted Suresh Bhardwaj to contest from Kasumpti, whose length and breadth he has yet to know. Bhardwaj supporters have threatened to resign in protest. 

He will face Congress MLA Anirudh Singh and CPIM candidate Dr Kuldip Singh Tantwar, who natively hail from Kiar Koti in Kasumpti. 

BJP has fielded Sanjay Sood, a new comer,  Chaiwala, who is an opponent of Suresh Bhardwaj in his place, eying the votes of Sood community and small traders in the main city,

Congress has yet to declare its candidate from Shimla urban, though name of former deputy mayor Harish Janartha is doing the round as the best bet for the seat. Other names are Adarsh Sood, Naresh Chauhan, Yashwant Chhajta and many others.   

CPIM has fielded  former deputy mayor Tikender Singh Panwar from Shimla urban. AAP has yet to declare its list so far. 

BJP has dumped Dr Pramod Sharma and has fielded Ravi Mehta, a new comer,  against Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, son of late Virbhadra Singh on Shimla rural seat. 

But the role of AAP probable Piyush Verma and GD Verma, a veteran from Shimla rural is also considered crucial for Vikramaditya, who has kicked off his campaign. 

He is cashing in on legacy of Virbhadra Singh and he himself has created a strong foothold in his segment as a Congress MLA.  

BJP has fielded two Times MLA, Balbir Verma from Chopal, who will face new comer Rajneesh Kimta of the Congress. Both the candidates come from   upper Jhina  and Balson area.

Role of Subhash Manglate, an estranged Congress leader from Neol lower area of Kupvi is crucial in this election. 

BJP has fielded new comer Ajay Shayam, a Jai Ram Thakur protege from Theog. Theog is locked in a triangular fight among CPIM veteran Rakesh Singha and former Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathour, who is contesting election for the first time.      

BJP and Congress have not changed candidates from Rohru- Mohan Lal Brakta(Congress) and Shashi Bala BJP. Congress has fielded Rohit Thakur from Jubbal-Kotkhai facing Chetan Bragta of BJP and CPIM candidate Vishal  Shankta.

CPIM and AAP have not declared candidates  on many seats in Himachal Pradesh.   

In Mandi district, where Jai Ram Thakur's stakes are higher, BJP has also triggered changes on 'five weak seats"   in its hopes to get more seats. The party has not changed its candidates on other "five seats".  

BJP has fielded Rajat Thakur,  son of former Minister Mahender Singh Thakur  from his home borough Dharampur. CPIM has fielded Bhupendra Singh, while Congress has yet to declare it candidate.  

This in turn has proved that BJP's stand on attacking Congress on dynastic politics is hollow.  

In Sarkaghat, BJP dumped Col(retd) Inder Singh Thakur and tried its gamble on Daleep Thakur, a new face and protege of Jai Ram Thakur and Nadda. 

In Mandi town, BJP did not disturb  "Sukh Ram and sons and grandsons",  eyeing on his little legacy that has been left behind by him after his death last year. 

BJP has batted its luck on Anil  Sharma, who had remained like a tossing coin in the air,  during his last term as he was neither in BJP nor did he leave the party. In fact, BJP could not find other suitable candidate from Mandi.    

Anil Sharma faces Champa Thakur of Congress from Mandi sadar, who is the daughter of Congress veteran Kaul Singh Thakur contesting from Drang.   

Brahmin lobby in Mandi is an active pressure group and support Brahmin candidates by and large. It has been demanding more seats for its Brahmin candidates from both Congress and BJP.   

Another big change is Drang. Interestingly BJP has dumped simpleton Jawahar Thakur, sitting MLA .

BJP has  tried its gamble on Puran Chand Thakur, who one time was a rubber stamp of Kaul Singh Thakur. Kaul Singh had lost 2017 election to Jawahar Thakur of the BJP.    

BJP also said good bye to Gulab Singh Thakur, father-in- law of Anurag Singh Thakur, Union IB and Youth Affairs Minister. BJP has batted on Prakash Rana, an independent MLA and a 'nouveau riche' from Gulf, who had joined BJP few months ago under influence of Jai Ram Thakur.    

From Karsog(SC) BJP has fielded a new face Deepraj Kapoor. BJP has not changed its candidates from Sundarnagar, Balh, Nachan, Seraj, where Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur would seek reelection for the record sixth time in a row.  

In Seraj,  Congress has fielded Chet Ram Thakur against Jai Ram Thakur  for the third time that has upset the large number of supporters of Vijaypal Singh, Chairperson of HP Congress Vichar Vibhag, who has been working hard touring remote villages raising issues in media.     

In Kangra district BJP also performed few political surgeries to corner as many as seats from 16 seats, the largest seat share  in Himachal Pradesh.

BJP has  changed 10 seats and have given tickets to new faces dumping all controversial candidates like  Neheria in Dharamshala changed seats of Ravinder Ravi and Ramesh Dhawala. 

it would Rakesh Chaudhary from Dharamshala facing Congress veteran Sudhir Sharma.  In Nagrota BJP has fielded former Congress leader, who had joined BJP,  Arun Kumar Mehra  (Kaku) against Raghubir Singh Bali, son of the late GS Bali and AAP candidate Umakant Dogra.   

Trilok Kapur, a Gaddi leader  would be pitted against Ashish Butail of Butail landlord patriarch of Congress from Palampur.  

BJP has fielded Pawan Kajal, former Congress MLA, who had joined BJP recently,  from Kangra open seat. Former minister Rakesh Pathania has been shifted from Nurpur to Fatehpur against Bhawani Singh Pathania of the Congress, who had won the last byelection. 

Pathania's  supporters in Nurpur are in a revolting mood, so is the case with BJP leaders in Kangra, Jawali.

Pathania will face AAP candidate Dr Rajan Sushant from Fatehpur also in multicornered fight.  Secondly Pathania and Vipin Parmar, who is seeking reelection from Neighboring Sulah segment donot jell well with each other and are rivals within BJP's Kangra politics.  

In Jaswan Pragpur BJP has not declared its candidate while Congress has dumped Viplove Thakur and instead has tried a new comer Surinder Singh Mankotia.

in Shahpur, it will be old rivals- Sarveen Chaudhary (BJP) and Kewal Singh Pathania (Congress), while AAP, BSP and other parties have yet to throw their hats in the ring.   

In Bilaspur, a Home Turf of BJP Chief Jagat Prakash Nadda, BJP has retained Randhir Sharma(Shri Naina Devi Ji, J R Katwal(Jhanduta),  Rajinder Garg(Ghumarwin). But the party has fielded Nadda's keyman Trilok Jamwal from Bilaspur Sadar, home of Nadda.     

In Solan district of Shimla Lok Sabha seat, BJP has fielded former Congress  MLA , Lakhvinder Rana , who had joined BJP earlier, from Nalagarh, much to the displeasure of KL Thakur, who could damage the BJP there giving Congress an edge.  

In Solan town, it would be for a rare fight between Father-in-Law Dr Dhani Ram Shandil and his son- in-law,  BJP candidate Dr Rajesh Kashyap for the second time. 

In three tribal constituencies- Bharmaur, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti- BJP has changed its candidates on the first two seats and fielded neurosurgeon Dr Janak Raj, who resigned as medical superintendent from IGMC, Shimla and joined BJP,    from Bharmour and Surat Negi from Kinnaur instead of Tejwant Negi. Raj and Surat are new comers.   

Dr Markande would contest from Lahaul-Spiti against Ravi Thakur of the Congress and AAP candidate Sudarshan Jaspa.   

BJP has also changed its candidates on Chamba and Dalhousie as well fielding Neelam Nayyar and DL Thakur respectively. They will face Congress veteran Asha Kumari(Dalhousie and Neeraj Nayyar in Chamba. 

In Sirmaur, BJP and Congress have fielded a mix of old and new in its bid to cash in on the recent fulfillment of Hatti's  main demand: ST status to the Hatti in TransGiri region.

Congress Harshvardhan Chauhan will face his old rival Baldev Tomar of the BJP.  Pachhad (SC) BJP has fielded Reena Kashyap against  Dayal Pyari of Congress. 

BJP veteran Dr Rajeev Bindal will face Ajay Solanki of Congress  in Nahan.  

BJP has fielded Narayan Singh from Renuka Ji, who is a new comer against Vinay Singh of Congress.  

BJP has fielded Gobind Singh Thakur from Manali, Surender Shourie from Banjar from where Congress has fielded Khimi Ram, former state BJP president who had joined Congress few months back. 

BJP has changed candidate from Anni(SC) fielding new comer Lokinder Kumar.