Himachal Pradesh polls: Rebels played spoilsport in 12 out of 68 assembly seats

Shimla: Rebels played a spoilsport for both the BJP and Congress in 12 out of the 68 assembly segments in Himachal Pradesh.

The rebels, who contested as independents in the assembly polls, marred the prospects of BJP candidates in eight seats while Congress candidates were hit in four assembly segments.

Out of the total 99 independents who were in the fray, 28 were rebels. All the three winning Independents – K L Thakur from Nalagarh, Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra and Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur – were BJP rebels who were denied party tickets. Thakur had won in 2012 but lost in 2017 and the BJP chose to field Lakhwinder Singh Rana, a two-term Congress MLA, who jumped ship ahead of the elections.

Singh, sitting independent MLA from Dehra had joined the BJP on the eve of assembly elections but the party gave ticket to Ramesh

Dhawala while Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur was also

a BJP rebel.

The rebels spoiled the prospects of the BJP in Kinnaur, Kullu, Banjar, Indora and Dharamshala, while the chances of the Congress candidates were hampered in Pachhad, Chopal, Anni and Sulah.