Shimla, Oct 19 : The Congress Monday took the lead in filing nomination papers for the bye-elections in two assembly constituencies of Himachal Pradesh.

"Manjit Singh Monday filed the papers for the Rohru constituency," the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anil Khachi told IANS.

He was the only candidate from a political party who has filed papers till now.

?ccording to Khachi, Ashok Kumar Somal filed his papers for the Jawali constituency as an Independent candidate.

Rohru and Jawali fell vacant after the sitting legislators - Virbhadra Singh and Rajan Sushant respectively - contested and won the Lok Sabha elections in April-May.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced that Khushi Ram Balnatah would be the party's candidate from Rohru.

From Jawali, the Congress has pitted former minister Sujan Singh Pathania against the BJP's greenhorn Baldev Raj Chaudhary.

BJP state chief Khimi Ram said both the party candidates would file the papers on the last date for nominations Oct 21.

In the 2007 assembly elections, the Congress had won the Rohru seat, whereas the BJP got Jawali.

Polling for both seats in Himachal Pradesh is scheduled for Nov 7. (IANS)