In fray,the scholarly and the erudite

Among those with doctorates in different disciplines include the Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Dhani Ram Shandil (Solan),Congress candidate at Chopal,Subash Manglet,BJP candidate at Lahual-Spiti,Ram Lal Markanday,TMC candidate at Theog,Pramod Sharma,former speaker and NCP candidate at Shimla (Urban),Radha Raman Shastri,and the Congress rebel at Arki,A C Pal. Pramod and Pal,who are university teachers,have taken leave to contest the polls as per university norms.

Retired IAS officer B K Chauhan,a sitting MLA is once again contesting from Chamba. He also boats of a doctorate degree. P S Draik,who quit as an IAS officer a month ago,will contest on a BJP ticket from Rampur. The saffron party already has former Himachal Administrative Services (HAS) officer Hridya Ram on its rolls. Hridya had won the Renuka bypolls last year and will contest the same seat. Another former HAS officer,H N Kashyap,who had earlier contested the Shimla Parliamentary seat,is in fray from Solan after being denied a BJP ticket.

Meanwhile,the riling party has given a ticket to retired superintendent engineer K L Thakur from Nalagarh while ignoring a banker in Kangra,who had resigned to contest the polls. The engineers include sitting Congress MLA at Ghumrwin (Bilaspur) Rajesh Dharmani and new face,Yadhvinder Goma,contesting from Jaisinghpur (SC).

The doctors in the fray include former health minister and BJP candidate from Nahan,Rajeev Bindal; Congress nominee at Boranj in Hamirpur,Ramesh Dogra; BJP candidate at Kasauli,Rajeev Sehjal; and former Congress MLA from Janduta in Bilaspur,Beeru Ram Kishore.

Former PCC president Kaul Singh Thakur,Ram Lal Thakur,Kuldeep Pathania (Congress) and PWD minister Gulab Singh Thakur form the lawyer brigade,while BJP state president Satpal Satti (Una) and the CPM’s Rakesh Singha (Theog) are post graduates.

While the academicians may take the plaudits,sitting MLA and Congress candidate at Rampur,Nand Lal,may be an exception. A former commando,who was part of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s security cover,he resigned from service in 2007 and was handed the Congress ticket from Rampur,replacing six-time winner Singhi Ram. He won and is contesting again. “My experience in politics is quite good. Of course,it gives me a chance to serve my people,” Lal says.

Then there are those who have tried to contest the polls but have been denied tickets. A S Chandel,a horticulture scientist at the YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Solan,took voluntary retirement to contest the polls from Theog but was denied the BJP ticket. Beni Prasad,who resigned some months ago as regional manager of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation,was denied a ticket by the Congress. He is now canvassing for the party’s candidate in Palampur.