Shimla, May 9 -- A total of 25,671 nomination papers were received on Day 2 of filing nominations for panchayat polls in Himachal, said officials on Friday. Kangra district recorded the highest number of nominations at 5,999, while Lahaul-Spiti district recorded the lowest with only 209 nominations. Khush Vikram Sen of the erstwhile princely state of Keonthal, who hails from the Junga royal family of Shimla-filed his nomination from the Chamiyana ward. A large crowd was present to support him during the nomination. A descendant of the Junga royal family, Khush Vikram Sen is considered to have considerable influence in the region. As per the sources he is seen as a BJP-backed candidate. Sen is the cousin of the public works minister Vikramaditya Singh. He will be contesting against Bhupendra Kanwar, the former block president of the Kasumpti assembly constituency, who is considered close to rural development and panchayati raj minister Anirudh Singh. Panchayat elections will be held in three phases on May 26, 28 and 30, with counting of votes on May 31. In the Kotkhai-Jubbal region of Shimla district, Shweta Chauhan-wife of the state's renowned folk singer Vicky Chauhan-has filed the papers from ward-10 (Saraswati Nagar). Chauhan enjoys the support of the BJP. In wake of the upcoming panchayat elections, deputy commissioner (DC) Anupam Kashyap has directed the excise department to maintain special vigilance regarding the sale and stocking of illicit liquor during the panchayat elections. A series of coordination meetings involving various departments and stakeholders will continue until the completion of the electoral process. Kashyap emphasised that the administration's objective is to steer Shimla towards becoming a drug-free society. He directed patwaris to immediately submit reports regarding individuals involved in the drug trade to the concerned sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs), so that their assets may be scrutinized and appropriate legal action initiated. Presiding over the monthly district-level 'NCORD' (National Coordination Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention) meeting, the DC stated that the Shimla police is conducting an effective campaign against narcotics, which has created an atmosphere of fear even among traffickers from neighboring states. He directed various departments-including the Revenue Department-to provide information regarding the assets of drug traffickers to the police on a priority basis....