Uttarakhand Assembly Polls: Congress And BJP Go Extra Mile To Convince Disgruntled Leaders

Dehradun, Jan 27 (PTI) With fear of disgruntled aspirants playing spoilsport against the official candidates looming large, both the Congress and the BJP have intensified their efforts to suppress the rebellion within the party ranks.

The last-minute shifting out of Congress General Secretary and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat from Ramnagar to Lalkuan seat is also considered as a step in this direction.

Harish Rawat's change of seat assumes significance as the party's state working president Ranjit Rawat, too, wanted to contest from Ramnagar.

The Congress high command did not budge to his demand either and instead fielded him from Salt Assembly constituency, his old seat.

On the other hand, former cabinet minister Harish Chandra Durgapal had threatened to quit the party in protest against the Congress’ previously announced candidate for Lalkuan constituency, Sandhya Dalakoti.

After Harish Rawat’s candidature was confirmed from Lalkuan, Durgapal on Thursday said he will continue to work for the Congress and 'ensure Rawat's victory'.

The party also changed its candidates in two other seats to persuade disgruntled leaders – it fielded Gaurav Choudhary in place of Mohit Uniyal from Doiwala and Ravi Bahadur in place of Barkha Rani from Jwalapur.

The BJP, too, has intensified its efforts to dissuade disgruntled leaders from going against the party.

Almora BJP MLA and deputy speaker Raghunath Singh Chauhan, who was vocal against the party’s decision to field Kailash Sharma in his place, had threatened to quit the party and contest as an independent candidate. However, after talks with senior leaders, he said he had changed his stand.

'I have been associated with the BJP for the last 40 years and will campaign for the party,' he said.

Senior BJP leaders in the state, including Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, succeeded in convincing the disgruntled Tharali MLA Munni Devi Shah, who was upset over the party fielding Bhopalram Tamta.

Sitting BJP MLA from Rudrapur Rajkumar Thukral on Thursday resigned from the primary membership of the BJP after being denied a ticket.

Incumbent MLA from Jhabreda, Deshraj Karnwal, too, is reportedly upset with the party as it denied him a ticket.

State BJP vice-president Devendra Bhasin, however, said there is no major resentment in the party and leaders are striving for the party's landslide victory.

'If there are minor resentments, the party is addressing them and everything will calm down in a day or so,' he said.

On reports of rift in the Congress over candidatures in some constituencies, state Congress vice-president Surendra Kumar said the displeasure among the contenders is justified to an extent, but the party is trying to persuade them.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)