Himachal Congress assigns election duties to cabinet ministers for assembly bypolls in six seats

Seven Himachal Pradesh cabinet ministers were made in-charge of Congress' campaign for the upcoming bypolls in six assembly seats on Friday, the state unit of the party said. Election duties have also been assigned to chief parliamentary secretaries, Congress MLAs and other office bearers of the party, a statement issued here said.

Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar was made the minister in-charge for Dharamshala constituency, Industries Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan was appointed as in-charge for Gagret constituency while Education Minister Rohit Thakur and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh would look after Kutleher, the statement said.

Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi is the in-charge of Lahaul and Spiti seat, Ayush Minister Yadvinder Goma of Sujanpur and Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani of Barsar constituency.

The appointments were approved by All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Himachal Pradesh, Rajeev Shukla, the statement said.

By-elections in six assembly seats were announced after six Congress MLAs were disqualified for not following the party whip. The bypolls in the state would be held with the Lok Sabha polls in four seats on June 1.

Nine legislators, including six former Congress MLAs and three independents, had voted in favour of the BJP nominee, Harsh Mahajan, in the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27. All nine legislators later joined the BJP.

The Congress ''rebel'' leaders were were disqualified for defying a whip to be present in the assembly and vote in favor of the government during the cut motion and budget. They were later given tickets by the BJP from their respective assembly constituencies.