Nine hopefuls filed their nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, including the BJP nominee from Shimla and the Congress candidates for the Mandi and Hamirpur seats.

Pachhad MLA Suresh Kashyap (48) filed his nomination as the BJP candidate for Shimla in the presence of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, former chief ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, state BJP chief Satpal Satti, state ministers Suresh Bhardwaj and Rajiv Saizal, chief whip Narendra Bragta, senior BJP leader Teerath Singh Rawat and sitting MP Virender Kashyap.

Former Union telecom minister Sukh Ram's grandson, Aashray Sharma (33), filed his papers for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in the presence of former CM Virbhadra Singh, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, HP Congress affairs in-charge Rajni Patil and Sukh Ram.

Although, Aashray Sharma's father Anil Sharma, a BJP MLA, was not present at the time of filing the papers, his mother Sunita Sharma was there with him.

Former minister Prakash Chaudhary (57) filed his nomination as the covering Congress candidate from Mandi.

Naina Devi MLA Ram Lal Thakur (68) filed his papers as the Congress nominee for the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, with Dharminder Singh Patiyal (51) as the covering candidate.

Thakur was accompanied by former Himachal Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mukesh Agnihotri and former MP Suresh Chandel.

Besides these, Desh Raj (40) filed his papers from the Hamirpur seat as the BSP candidate.

Chanderbhan and Bachan Singh Rana filed their nominations as Independent candidates, whereas Nisha Katoch filed her papers as the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha candidate from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat.

With this, as many as 24 candidates have filed nominations for the four seats of Himachal Pradesh -- Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur and Shimla -- so far.

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