Shimla: The BJP on Friday announced a candidate for the elections to be held for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh.
In a surprising twist of events, the party High Command has approved the name of Dr. Sikander Kumar the incumbent Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University for the Rajya Sabha seat.
He had assumed charge as the Vice-Chancellor in August 2018.
Dr Sikandar, originally a resident of Nadaun of district Hamirpur and is active in the BJP organization and has been the state president of BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha.
After the names of the candidates announced by the BJP, the hopes of the BJP veterans of Himachal, who were engaged in fierce lobbying from the state to the central leadership, to bag the Rajya Sabha seat, have suffered a setback.
On the basis of the existing strength of the state assembly, the BJP candidate is almost set to make it to the lone Rajya Sabha.
The seat is getting vacated on the completion of the tenure of outgoing MP Anand Sharma on 2 April.
According to the notification issued by the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the voting for the Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh will be held on March 31.
In the event of the election being contested, the poll will take place on 31 March between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm.
