AICC suspends seven leaders, two former ministers in Himachal

Shimla: The All India Congress Committee suspended seven party leaders, including two former ministers, on Saturday for defying party discipline and fighting the Assembly election against party nominee.
Party state in-charge and AICC general secretary Sushil Kumar Shinde said in a statement issued here that seven party leaders who are in fray for Assembly election, were suspended from party membership for at least six years.
He said the party has tried to persuade such leaders to withdraw their nominations against AICC candidates, however, seven of them did not relent and had decided to fight the election against the party official nominee which was an act of indiscipline. Shinde said that former Minister Vijay Singh Mankoita and Singhi Ram who are fighting the election from Shahpur of Kangra district and Rampur reserve of Shimla, respectively, were suspended for with this statement in a notice issued by party.
The Congress has given ticket to Kewel Singh Pathania from Shahpur and MLA Nand Lal from Rampur.
He said that party former nominee from Shimla, Harish Janarth, who lost election in 2012 from Shimla, is in the fray. The Congress said that seven leaders, who defied party discipline and worked against the party line by filing their papers against the official nominee, were asked to quit before they were suspended by the AICC from the party and its memberships on Saturday. (UNI)