Himachal Pradesh polls | Political lines blur in Kangra as parties bank on turncoats

Kangra is one of the five constituencies in the Kangra district, where the BJP is facing a rebellion due to the allocation of tickets to turncoats

Battle lines have been drawn in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh's Kangra Assembly constituency but political lines have blurred with parties fielding turncoats.

Among the six candidates in the fray is the BJP's Pawan Kumar Kajal, who won the 2017 elections from Kangra on Congress ticket. He joined the BJP in August with Congress MLA from Nalagarh Lakhivinder Rana.

Mr. Kajal is pitted against Congress nominee Surinder Kumar Kaku, who returned to the party in September after a three-year stint in the BJP.

Kangra is one of the five constituencies in the Kangra district, where the BJP is facing a rebellion due to the allocation of tickets to turncoats. The district sends 15 legislators to the 68-member Assembly.

Mr. Kajal, 48, however, said he has the support of local BJP workers and they are working for 'Mission Repeat' -- repeating the party's government in the hill state.

National leaders of the BJP are also campaigning for Mr. Kajal.

Congress' Mr. Kaku alleged Mr. Kajal jumped ship to avoid facing a probe amid allegations of corruption against him. There has been no development in Kangra in the last 10 years, the Congress nominee claimed.