BJP, Congress leadership tread cautiously on candidate selection for Kedarnath bypoll
Wednesday, 23 October 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The candidate selection for the crucial Assembly by-election in Kedarnath is turning out to be a very tough exercise for both the BJP and Congress. The fear of revolt, dissensions and even party hopping by the prospective candidates has prompted the central leadership of both these parties to tread cautiously on the issue of candidate selection.
The process of the filing of the nomination papers started on Tuesday with the Election Commission notification for the bypoll. However, considering the continuing dilemma on selection of candidates it is unlikely that both Congress and BJP will declare their official candidate soon.
Interestingly, the names of two BJP leaders are said to be in the panel of both BJP and Congress which means that if BJP does not give tickets to these leaders, the Congress is likely to give its ticket to any one of them.
Meanwhile, the observers appointed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) have sent their report with the panel of candidates to the State party in-charge Kumari Selja. She will now hold one to one online interaction with the observers on Wednesday.
On the other hand, the State parliamentary board of BJP has sent the names of former MLA Asha Nautiyal, Kuldeep Rawat, Aishwarya Rawat (daughter of previous MLA Shaila Rani Rawat), Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Kuldeep Azad Negi and Colonel (retd) Ajay Kothiyal to the central parliamentary board. However, considering the possibility of revolt by a couple of leaders, the BJP high command is learnt to have asked the opinion of State leaders on some other names which includes former chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat and daughters of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) late General Bipin Rawat.
