Kotkhai: A Day after the BJP sprung a surprise by announcing the candidature of Neelam Saraik to contest the Jubbal-Kotkhai by-election, the party now already has a rebel Chetan Bragta who is all set to contest as an independent candidate.

Chetan Bragta, son of senior BJP leader and former cabinet minister Narinder Bragta, was seen as a probable candidate to contest the elections from Jubbal-Kotkhai after the seat got vacated due to the demise of his father owing to post Covid-19 complications.

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Chetan Bragta had even shared the stage with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in one of the public rallies and had been projected as the BJP face for the upcoming by-poll.

However, the ticket allotment to Neelam Saraik has now turned unsavoury, as irked by the decline of the ticket, Bragta has announced to contest as an independent candidate while addressing his supporters in Jubbal-Kotkhai on Thursday.

He has even posted on his Facebook page that he would go ahead and file his nomination papers on Friday at 9.30 pm at Kharapathar.

Chetan Bragta has shared a poster with the image of himself and his late father Narender Bragta and has appealed to the voters to bless him.

With Chetan Bragta contesting the elections, it will pose a challenge to BJP and will undercut the party’s official candidate.