Dharamsala, April 18

Aastha Agnihotri, daughter of Dy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, has refused to contest the Lok Sabha elections on Congress ticket from Hamirpur. In a video message released today, she said that she was felt honoured by the Congress offer to contest from the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency. "I have, however, refused the offer as I am not in the right mental state to contest elections after losing my mother just two months ago," she added.

Aastha said that she was thankful to the party high command for considering her for contesting the parliamentary elections. "However, in our family my mother was the political architect of my father's rise in politics. After her sudden and untimely demise, we are in a state of shock and not in a position to contest elections," she added.

Asked by mediapersons if she was offered ticket for Gagret Assembly byelection also, Aastha said that the party did not make an offer from that constituency. "My mother and father have nurtured the Haroli constituency for the past 25 years. The people of the area have also honoured my father by ensuring his victory five times consecutively. I have no intention of contesting elections from any other Assembly constituency," she added.