State BJP has released its final list of candidates for the assembly poll and fielded 38 sitting for the poll. The BJP has denied ticket to three sitting MLA including speaker Tulsi Ram (Bharmour in Chamba) and former ministers Roop Singh and Dile Ram, both from Mandi.

However party has fielded tainted leader Suresh Chandel from Bilaspur, who was caught in a sting operation in the 2005 ‘cash-for-query scam’ when he was an MP from Hamirpur. Eleven MPs, including Chandel, were expelled by parliament Dec 23, 2005, for allegedly accepting money to raise questions in the house.