PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The BJP backed candidates have been elected unopposed on the post of president district Panchayat in four out of the 12 districts where the elections were held. The BJP candidates were elected unopposed for the position of president of district Panchayat in Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Ramesh Chauhan from Uttarkashi, Jitendra Prasad from Pithoragarh, Anand Singh Adhikari from Champawat and Ajay Maurya from Udham Singh Nagar were elected unopposed.
In the remaining eight districts, there will be a direct fight between BJP and Congress supported candidates.
BJP supported candidates Ramesh Chauhan ( Uttarkashi), Daulat Singh Bisht ( Chamoli), Madhu Chauhan ( Dehradun), Rachna Butola ( Pauri), Jitendra Prasad ( Pithoragarh), Shobha Arya ( Bageshwar), Hema Gaida ( Almora), Deepa Damrwal ( Nainital), Poonam Kathait (Rudraprayag), Sona Sajwan (Tehri), Anand Singh Adhikari (Champawat) and Ajay Maura (Udham Singh Nagar) filed nomination papers for the post of president district Panchayat at respective districts on Monday.
On the other hand, Congress candidate Pushpa Negi filed nomination papers for the post of district Panchayat president in Nainital. Similarly Dipika Istwal from Pauri, Priti Pushpwan from Rudraprayag and Sunita Kunjwal from Almora filed nomination papers as Congress candidates.
The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers on August 12, while the election will be held on August 14 and the results will be declared on the same day.
In the high profile Dehradun district Panchayat seat, Sukhwinder Kaur filed nomination as Congress candidate on Monday. Here the Congress has fielded Abhishek Singh, the son of Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh for the post of vice president district Panchayat.
The post of president of Dehradun district Panchayat has become a point of prestige for BJP leader and Vikasnagar MLA Munna Singh Chauhan and Congress stalwart Pritam Singh. The BJP candidate Madhu Chauhan is the wife of Munna Singh Chauhan. The Congress has alleged that the BJP government in an attempt to prevent Abhishek Singh has reserved the district Panchayat seat for women. The party has also moved to the court on the ground that the Dehradun district Panchayat seat has been kept reserved for women for the third consecutive term.
