Col DR Shandil is a two-term MP.
Suresh Kashyap is contesting the Lok Sabha poll for the first time.
Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, April 1
Shimla Lok Sabha seat is all set to witness an interesting contest with a former Army officer taking on an Air Force personnel as both the Congress and BJP have fielded ex-servicemen from this constituency.
The Congress has chosen a septuagenarian Col DR Shandil (retd), a sitting MLA from Solan. The BJP has fielded former Senior Non-Commissioned Officer from the Indian Air Force, Suresh Kashyap (47), sitting MLA from Pacchad.
Shimla Lok Sabha seat, a known Congress bastion earlier, was wrested by the BJP in the past two occasions.
Shandil is also a two-term MP where he had won the first Lok Sabha election on Himachal Vikas Congress’ ticket in 1999 but went on to join the Congress and won in 2004. However, he suffered defeat in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. But he went on to win two successive Vidhan Sabha elections from Solan. Armed with adequate experience, Shandil might be the best bet for Congress but he is haunted by a sizeable anti-incumbency.
The BJP on the other hand appears to have done its homework well by choosing a new candidate in the form of Suresh Kashyap as the sitting MP Virender Kashyap had failed to perform as per the party’s survey. Though Kashyap will have the advantage of receiving good support from Sirmaur as this is the first occasion when the party has given ticket to a candidate from this district, but being new he is yet to be introduced to the electorate in Shimla as well as Solan districts.
The fact that polls are slated to take place at the last leg of the polling season on May 19, it will serve as an advantage for this new candidate to tour Shimla and Solan districts extensively.
With the BJP having already begin its campaign with women, youth and SC sammelans taking place in all districts and even Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur having addressed public meetings in Solan, Shimla as well as Sirmaur to introduce Suresh Kashyap, his campaign has begun well. The Congress was yet to put its house in order as it was yet to even finalise candidates for two of the four seats.