The opposition BJP in Himachal Pradesh Thursday announced Narender Thakur, a Congress rebel who joined the party lately, as its candidate for the May 7 by-election to the Sujanpur assembly constituency.

 

 The seat fell vacant following the resignation of independent member Rajinder Rana, who was earlier in the BJP and is now the Congress candidate for the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat.

 

 Narender, son of late BJP stalwart Jagdev Chand, contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket from Hamirpur and lost to BJP's Anurag Thakur. He had left the BJP and joined the Congress just before the general elections in 2009.

 

 In 2012, Narender contested and lost the assembly election while representing the Congress against BJP's former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal from Hamirpur. The Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the Sujanpur assembly seat. Party leaders said they are likely to field Anita Rana, wife of Rajinder.

 

 The assembly by-election will be held simultaneously with polling for the four Lok Sabha seats in the state May 7.