The CM has already extensively toured the constituency, senior leaders of BJP organisation camping in the area
Wednesday, 04 May | PNS | Dehradun
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who is all set to contest the by-election from Champawat and the ruling BJP are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the victory of CM in the crucial election. The voting in the by elections would be held on May 31 and after the notification by the election commission (EC) a model code of conduct (MCC) has been enforced in the Champawat district. However CM Dhami has already covered the area and announced projects worth Crores of rupees. The opposition Congress party on the other hand is yet to decide on its candidate. In all the past five assembly elections the Congress has held its stake on Himesh Kharkwal who had won the seat in the assembly elections of 2002 and 2012.
In an endeavour to secure a handsome victory from Champawat, Dhami has visited the area twice after April 21 when the BJP MLA from Champawat Kailash Gehtodi had resigned from his Vidhan Sabha membership to pave the way for CM’s entry in the assembly. Prior to it Dhami had camped in the area for two full days in the first week of April.
In these visits the CM had bestowed projects and schemes worth crores of Rupees for the people of the area. In his public meetings the CM has promised to make Champawat a centre of modern agriculture, horticulture and tea cultivation.
Dhami has promised to make a satellite centre of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kumaon and said that approval of a budget of Rs 29 crore has been given for the survey of Tanakpur- Bageshwar rail line. He has also promised Khatima By pass road, Tanakpur – Sitarganj four lane road and flood protection works on the Sharda river in his visit.
Apart from Dhami, the organisation of the BJP has also become active in Champawat. The general secretary (Organisation) of Uttarakhand BJP Ajaey Kumar is already camping in Champawat. A team of party workers headed by Cabinet Minister Chandan Ram Das is also active in the area. The locals point out that the Dhami started his campaign in Champawat by offering prayers at the Guru Gorakhnath temple located in the area popularly called Talla Desh. This predominantly rural area is considered backward and the Dhami’s candidature has made the people of the area enthusiastic. Apart from this the CM has visited the famous shrine of Purnagiri. Political experts opine that the Champawat is suited for CM Dhami as it is not very big and more than half of the electors are concentrated in Tanakpur- Banbasa area which makes it easy to cover it extensively in a short time. Champawat also has a good population of people belonging to Pithoragarh district which is the native place of Dhami. Apart from these factors the area has a considerable population of ex servicemen who are considered as a vote bank of BJP. Champawat assembly constituency has a total of 96,016 voters out of which 50,057 are male and 45,959 are female voters. There are 151 polling booths in the constituency. In the assembly elections of 2017 and 2022 Kailash Gehtodi of BJP has won from the seat. In 2002 and 2012 Himesh Kharkwal of Congress had represented the constituency in the state assembly while in the year 2007, Veena Maharana of BJP had won from here.
In the recently held assembly elections, CM Dhami was defeated by Bhuwan Kapdi of Congress from his traditional Khatima assembly constituency by a margin of 6,759 votes. Despite the reversal in Khatima, the ruling BJP came back to power in Uttarakhand by winning 47 out of 70 seats in the state assembly and the central leadership of BJP appointed Dhami as CM of the state for the second consecutive time. In order to fulfil the constitutional obligation of getting elected to the assembly within six months, BJP MLA Kailash Gehtodi resigned from his assembly membership.
