Himachal by-poll: BJP fields former independent MLAs

SHIMLA: For the by-election being held in Dehra, Nalagarh and Hamirpur assembly seats the BJP has given tickets to three former independent MLAs after whose resignations these seats had fallen vacant. These former independent MLAs during the Rajya Sabha election held on February 27 had voted for BJP candidate due to which despite having less number of MLAs the BJP had managed to win the Rajya Sabha election.
The former independent MLAs given tickets include Hoshyar Singh from Dehra, Krishan Lal Thakur from Nalagarh and Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur.They had submitted their resignations to the Assembly Speaker on March 22nd and had joined the BJP on March 23rd and Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania had accepted their resignations on June 3. In the 2022 Assembly election, Ashish Sharma, Hoshyar Singh and Krishan Lal Thakur had won as independent candidates but now they are trying their luck to re-enter Assembly as BJP candidate.
Earlier, BJP had fielded six former Congress MLAs in the by-elections held in Dharamshala, Sujanpur, Barsar, Gagret, Kutlehar and Lahaul-Spiti. These former Congress MLAs had cross-voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha election.
After the Speaker disqualified them for defying the whip issued by the party during the budget session they had joined BJP. Of the six former Congress MLAs only two including Inder Dutt Lakhanpal from Barsar and Sudhir Sharma from Dharamshala only could win while remaining four failed to return to the Assembly.