By IANS,
Shimla : Onkar Shad of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will contest the Lok Sabha election from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, the party announced Saturday.
“Onkar Shad will be our candidate from Mandi,” CPI-M state committee member Tikendra Singh Panwar told IANS here. He will enjoy the backing of the Communist Party of India (CPI) too, he said.
Former chief minister Virbhadra Singh of the Congress represented the Mandi seat till his return to state politics in 1984. His wife Pratibha Singh won in 2004. Virbhadra Singh is the Congress candidate this time.
Former MP Maheshwar Singh is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Mandi.
Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats. The Congress won the Shimla, Kangra and Mandi seats in 2004 while BJP bagged Hamirpur.