<p>Chandresh Kumari Katoch, one of the seven new ministers sworn in with cabinet rank on Sunday, had earlier expressed keenness to return to Himachal Pradesh politics. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The 68-year-old Congress MP from Rajasthan is married into the erstwhile royal family of Katoch, which ruled Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.<br /><br />The induction into the union cabinet comes almost as a reward for sacrificing the ambition to return to Himachal Pradesh politics; the state is headed for polling on Nov 4. <br /><br />Elected to the Lok Sabha from Jodhpur in Rajasthan in 2009, Chandresh Kumari is not a new face in the politics. She is a three-time legislator and two-time MP from Himachal Pradesh. <br /><br />A senior Congress leader said that Chandresh Kumari was keen to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state from Dharamsala, the seat she represented from 2003-07.<br /><br />She was, he said, denied the ticket for two reasons: first, Himachal Pradesh Committee chief Virbhadra Singh lobbied for his close confidant Sudhir Sharma; second, the party was not keen to field her from Dharamsala, as her victory would have left the parliamentary seat vacant and result in the by-poll.<br /><br />Before the list of Congress candidates for the assembly polls in Himachal was made known, Chandresh Kumari had been busy touring her constituency. <br /><br />In 2007 Assembly polls, she lost to BJP’s Kishan Kapoor with a big margin. Subsequently, she was elected to Lok Sabha for the second term from Jodhpur. <br /><br />Chandresh Kumari was born in the erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur, and is married into the family of the erstwhile rulers of Kangra. <br /><br />She won her first Assembly elections from Bamsan in Hamirpur district, since scrapped after delimitation in 2008, in 1972.<br /><br />She won the assembly polls in 1982 and 2003 and a Lok Sabha seat from Kangra in 1984. She was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1996. She was minister of state for tourism for nine months in 1984. <br /><br />She was elevated as health minister in the Virbhadra Singh cabinet from 2003-04.<br />Chandresh Kumari was also president of the All India Mahila Congress from 1999-2003.<br /><br /> “Her induction into the cabinet comes as a great honour for Himachal Pradesh, as she has her roots here,” Congress spokesperson Kewal Pathania said.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Chandresh Kumari Katoch, one of the seven new ministers sworn in with cabinet rank on Sunday, had earlier expressed keenness to return to Himachal Pradesh politics. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The 68-year-old Congress MP from Rajasthan is married into the erstwhile royal family of Katoch, which ruled Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.<br /><br />The induction into the union cabinet comes almost as a reward for sacrificing the ambition to return to Himachal Pradesh politics; the state is headed for polling on Nov 4. <br /><br />Elected to the Lok Sabha from Jodhpur in Rajasthan in 2009, Chandresh Kumari is not a new face in the politics. She is a three-time legislator and two-time MP from Himachal Pradesh. <br /><br />A senior Congress leader said that Chandresh Kumari was keen to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state from Dharamsala, the seat she represented from 2003-07.<br /><br />She was, he said, denied the ticket for two reasons: first, Himachal Pradesh Committee chief Virbhadra Singh lobbied for his close confidant Sudhir Sharma; second, the party was not keen to field her from Dharamsala, as her victory would have left the parliamentary seat vacant and result in the by-poll.<br /><br />Before the list of Congress candidates for the assembly polls in Himachal was made known, Chandresh Kumari had been busy touring her constituency. <br /><br />In 2007 Assembly polls, she lost to BJP’s Kishan Kapoor with a big margin. Subsequently, she was elected to Lok Sabha for the second term from Jodhpur. <br /><br />Chandresh Kumari was born in the erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur, and is married into the family of the erstwhile rulers of Kangra. <br /><br />She won her first Assembly elections from Bamsan in Hamirpur district, since scrapped after delimitation in 2008, in 1972.<br /><br />She won the assembly polls in 1982 and 2003 and a Lok Sabha seat from Kangra in 1984. She was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1996. She was minister of state for tourism for nine months in 1984. <br /><br />She was elevated as health minister in the Virbhadra Singh cabinet from 2003-04.<br />Chandresh Kumari was also president of the All India Mahila Congress from 1999-2003.<br /><br /> “Her induction into the cabinet comes as a great honour for Himachal Pradesh, as she has her roots here,” Congress spokesperson Kewal Pathania said.<br /><br /></p>