Shimla(IANS) : The filing of nomination papers for the second and last phase of the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections closed Friday on a rainy and chilly day.
The day was marked by a dramatic turn of events as a senior Congress leader, Mandi district Congress chief D.D. Thakur, walked in to file his nomination papers but changed his mind and instead filed his nominations as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee.
Thakur will now fight Anil Sharma, who is the son of former union minister Sukh Ram.
The BJP’s state party chief Jai Ram Thakur confirmed Thakur had joined his party and was contesting as a BJP candidate from Mandi.
Polling for the second phase of the assembly polls for 65 seats takes place Dec 19, and counting of votes will start Dec 28.