Will not merge with BJP: Himachal Lokhit Party

SHIMLA: Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), floated by BJP rebels during Assembly polls in 2012, today decided not to merge with BJP, setting at rest all speculations about party Supremo Maheshwar Singh contesting the Lok Sabha poll from Mandi constituency as a candidate of the saffron party.

"The core committee of the party, which met here to take stock of the political situation, was of the view that the HLP members had quit BJP because of corruption in the government headed by former chief minister PK Dhumal and unless the issues raised by them were sorted, how could they return to BJP," said party spokesman Khushi Ram Balnatah.

The party has decided to maintain equal distance from both Congress and BJP, he said.

Some senior BJP leaders were reportedly in contact with Maheshwar Singh and the party has not announced its candidate from Mandi seat to oppose sitting Congress MP Pratibha Singh, wife of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who won the by-election in June last year.

The HLP's decision is being seen as relief for Congress as Maheshwar Singh, a sitting MLA from Kullu, wields considerable influence in Mandi parliamentary constituency.

He had been BJP MP from Mandi thrice in 1989, 1998 and 1999, but lost in 1991 and 2004.

Meanwhile, party sources said HLP may not field candidates for the four Lok sabha seats in Himachal, but would oppose BJP candidates.

BJP has already announced its candidates for Kangra, Hamirpur and Shimla. The party will field former CM Shanta Kumar from Kangra and sitting MPs Anurag Thakur and Varinder Kashyap from Hamirpur and Shimla (reserve) seats, respectively.

Congress has also decided on its candidates from Shimla, Mandi and Kangra, but is yet to decide its candidate for Hamirpur to take on Anurag Thakur.