Shimla: Rakesh Kalia, former MLA from Gagret assembly of Una district of Himachal Pradesh, has returned to the congress party after 18 months. Today in Delhi, state Congress in-charge Rajeev Shukla welcomed him by wearing the party scarf and inducted him. Now there are talks of making Rakesh Kalia the Congress candidate from Gagret Assembly for by-election.
Let us tell you that after the Kalia’s congress ticket was cut in the 2022 assembly elections following which former MLA Rakesh Kalia joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. During that time Congress had given ticket to Chaitanya Sharma who had won the election from Gagret.
Recently, speaker disqualified Chaitanya after cross voting in Rajya Sabha elections in Himachal. Now by-elections are to be held here on June 1st. Congress rebel Chaitanya Sharma has been made the candidate by BJP. The day Chaitanya joined BJP, Rakesh Kalia said goodbye to BJP and today he has formally joined the party.
Return to party after 18 months
Rakesh Kalia has returned to the party after 18 months. Now there is discussion that Congress can give party ticket to Rakesh Kalia from Gagret. However, the name of former Congress state president Kuldeep Kumar is also in discussion here. Now, on the instructions of the party high command, the survey is being conducted again in Gagret. Based on this, tickets will be allotted in the coming days.
Has been MLA from Chintpurni twice and Gagret once.
Rakesh Kalia has been MLA from Chintpurni twice and Gagret assembly once. He has also been CPS (Chief Parliamentary Secretary) in the former Virbhadra government. Similarly, Rakesh Kalia has also served as Secretary of All India Congress Committee and co-in-charge of Congress in Madhya Pradesh.