BJP has pitted Brigadier (retd) Khushal Thakur against former Congress MP Pratibha Singh, who is late chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife.
Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday (October 7) released its list of candidates for by-polls to three Lok Sabha seats in the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, and 16 Assembly seats in various states, which are to be held on October 30, a fake list is being circulated on social media and WhatsApp groups whereby Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut's name features as the BJP's candidate for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.
However, this is absolutely fake as Brigadier (retd) Khushal Thakur is the candidate for Himachal Pradesh's Mandi against former Congress MP Pratibha Singh, who is the late chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife.
This will be one closely fought battle.
Both Brigadier Thakur and Pratibha Singh are 65 years old and they will file nominations on October 8.
Brigadier Thakur, a former Commanding Officer of 18 Grenadiers in the Indian Army played a crucial role in the counterattack at Tololing and Tiger Hills in the Kargil war two decades back, and has now been fighting for the rights of over 40,000 families. who lost their lands, homes and livelihood in the construction of the four-lane super expressway from Kiratpur to Manali.
Brigadier Thakur, who is currently chairperson of Himachal Pradesh Ex-Servicemen Corporation, was a strong contender for the ticket in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, while Pratibha Singh was chosen for this seat that his husband represented three times.
Pratibha Singh, who represented the Mandi parliamentary seat twice, has been fielded by the Congress despite strong claims by Ashraya Sharma, grandson of former Union Telecommunication Minister Sukh Ram, who was unsuccessful in the 2019 parliamentary poll.
Brigadier Thakur hails from Nagwain in Mandi district and retired in 2010. After retiring, he formed the Four-Lane Sangharsh Samiti six years ago and has been fighting for the cause of the affected families. Even he has lost the ancestral land to the highway construction.
(With agency inputs)
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 "FACT CHECK: Kangana Ranaut named as BJP candidate for Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll? Know the truth here")
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