Dharamshala: Congress leader and former state minister G S Bali on Saturday said he had already communicated to party president Rahul Gandhi that he was not in the race for the party ticket from Kangra and media reports of him opposing candidature of OBC leader Pawan Kajal was a lie.In a post on his Facebook account, the Congress leader claimed that such reports were aimed at weaking the Congress in Kangra. Bali and former minister Sudhir Sharma are said to be contenders for the party ticket from Kangra. However, it is being said that the outfit has finalled Kajal as its candidate.Bali said neither he nor any member of his family has applied for the Congress ticket.Kangra has remained the hotbed of politics with BJP stalwart Shanta Kumar contesting from here. Earlier, when there were indications that Shanta Kumar would contest from the seat, Congress was planning to field Sharma or Bali from the seat. But, with the BJP changing its candidate to Himachal Pradesh food and civil supplies minister Kishan Kapoor, amember of the Gaddi community, Congress is said to have decided on fielding Kajal.A senior Congress leader confirmed to TOI that Kajal, MLA from Kangra, has been finalised as the candidate from Kangra parliamentary seat. Bali said he had always advocated for OBC representation in Kangra. “We have supported the candidature of OBC candidate this time too in the shape of Pawan Kajal,” he said.He said he was not as active as before because of his health, but he would now be more active and support Kajal. He said the Congress campaign would be launched with a big rally at Nagrota Bagwan. “I have devised a strategy along with Kajal for the poll campaign,” he said.

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