Shimla: The old rivalry between former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and former Congress state president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is delaying the decision on party ticket for Hamirpur — the constituency that the has been with BJP for over two decades now.While Virbhadra is advocating ticket to Abhishek Rana, son of Sujanpur MLA Rajinder Singh Rana who had defeated former BJP chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumain in the 2017 state assembly elections, Sukhu too said to be keen to contest from here. The Congress has already announced names of candidates for Mandi and Shimla (SC), while Hamirpur and Kangra remain. BJP has announced candidates on all four seats.Sources in the Congress said that Himchal party affairs in charge Rajni Patil on Saturday held a meeting with sitting and former MLAs of Hamirpur parliamentary seat to decide the consensus candidate. As screening committee meeting and the central election committee meeting have already been held, the decision on Hamirpur would be taken at highest level of party.If it looks at the caste equation, the Congress will have to field a Rajput candidate from Hamirpur it has fielded a Brahmin candidate in Mandi, SC candidate in Shimla and all set to field OBC candidate in Kangra.Tussle over ticket on Hamirpur seat had started in November last year when Virbhadra, while attending a function organized by Sarvhitkari Kalyan Sanstha of Rajinder Rana at Sujanpur, advocated party ticket to Abhishek much to the annoyance of rival faction. Abhishek has been touring the parliamentary constituency for months now.Meanwhile, names of other leaders including Naina Devi MLA Ram Lal Thakur, AICC secretary Rajesh Dharmani and Sukhu also cropped up. When Congress leaders were fighting for tickets, entry of BJP leader and former MP Suresh Chandel made the ticket battle even more interesting.A senior Congress leader, requesting anonymity, said those who earlier were fighting with each other for ticket, unanimously started opposing Chandel. The Congress leaders appraised the high command Chandel should be allowed to join the party without any precondition.After the drama, the Congress high command is said to have asked Sukhu to contest from Hamirpur seat, which came as a shocker as the faction was pushing the name of Congress legislature party leader Mukesh Agnihotri.Sukhu camp had even submitted a letter to high command declaring Agnihotri was a winning candidate as he had won from Haroli assembly seat four times and Una district has proved to be strongest belt of Congress.Sources said that turning down this demand, the party top brass has made it clear that Agnihotri would continue to perform the responsibility assigned him in the state assembly while Sukhu could be taken out of state for national politics. The final tie is between Sukhu, Ram Lal Thakur and Abhishek now.

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