15 candidates from Himachal file nomination for LS polls

Fifteen candidates filed their nomination papers on Friday for the seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh scheduled to be held on May 19. With this, as many as 39 candidates have filed nominations for the four seats of Himachal Pradesh -- Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur and Shimla -- so far, an official said.

Former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal's son and sitting MP Anurag Singh Thakur (44) filed his nomination as BJP candidate for Hamirpur in the presence of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. Anurag Thakur has won the Lok Sabha elections from Hamirpur thrice in a row. Parveen Sharma (61) filed his papers as Anurag Thakur's covering candidate.

Ram Singh Shukla (66) of the Bahujan Mukti Party and independent candidates Ashish Kumar (38) and Ashok Kumar (55) filed nominations from Hamirpur, the official said. Dharamshala MLA and BJP candidate Kishan Kapoor (67) and independent candidate Narinder Singh Pathania filed their nominations from Kangra.

Brigadier Khushal Chand Thakur (64) filed nomination as covering candidate for BJP's Mandi aspirant Ram Swaroop Sharma. Rajinder Suryavanshi (42) of the Ambedkar Party of India, Chandermani (61) of the All India Forward Bloc, Kartar Chand (44) of the Swabhiman Party also filed their papers from Mandi.

Similarly, Brij Gopal (59) and Col. Thakur Singh (66) filed their nominations as independent candidates from Mandi. For Shimla, Vikram Singh (33) filed his nomination as Bahujan Samaj Party candidate while Dula Ram (62) filed his papers as independent candidate for the same seat.