HP elections 2017: Virbhadra Singh offers his Assembly seat to son

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh sprang a surprise by offering his Assembly seat to his son Vikramaditya, saying he would himself like to contest from a seat which Congress has never won. 

Addressing a gathering of party workers at his official residence here, Mr Singh proposed Vikramaditya’s name, who is the president of Himachal Youth Congress, as a probable candidate from Shimla (Rural) constituency for the next Assembly polls.

“I have received plenty of love from the people of the Shimla Rural, as much as I got from my own traditional home constituency,” said Mr Singh, who had shifted to the constituency after his Rohroo constituency was reserved following delimitation in 2012.

“People should not think that I am abandoning Shimla Rural, instead I will continue to give equal attention to this constituency as well,” he said.

The octogenarian leader and six-time chief minister has been active in electoral politics since 1962 and has been elected to Lok Sabha five times and state assembly eight times.

Himachal Pradesh will go to poll at the end of the year.