479 nominations filed for Himachal Assembly polls

The nominations will be scrutinised on Tuesday. On the last day of filing of nominations on Monday, 275 candidates, including former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal of the BJP, filed their papers. According to officials, 119 nominations have been filed for 15 seats in Kangra, 74 for 10 seats in Mandi, 64 for eight seats in Shimla, 41 for five seats in Hamirpur, 28 for five seats in Chamba, 29 for five seats in Solan. Twenty-seven nominations were filed for five seats in Sirmaur, 47 for five seats in Una, 17 for four seats in Bilaspur, 23 for four seats in Kullu, five each for one seat in Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur, the officials said.

Congress leader Deepak Rathore filed his nomination from the Theog constituency on Monday, but the party later announced that veteran leader and Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes (89) would be the official candidate. She filed her nomination from Theog in Shimla district later in the day.

Stokes had offered to vacate the seat for Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, but he shifted to Arki in Solan district leaving his traditional Shimla (Rural) seat to his son.