Friday, 25 October 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Bharatiya Janata Party is set to announce its candidate for the Kedarnath Assembly by-election by October 27. The last date to submit nomination for the by-election is October 29. A panel of six potential candidates was sent to the central parliamentary board for final approval 10 days ago and the decision is expected within two days, according to the party’s State media in-charge, Manveer Singh Chauhan. The six shortlisted candidates include Aishwarya Rawat, the daughter of the late MLA Shaila Rani Rawat, BJP State Mahila Morcha president and former two-time MLA, Asha Nautiyal and Ajay Kothiyal, the former Aam Aadmi Party chief ministerial candidate for Uttarakhand in 2021, who later joined the BJP.
The remaining three candidates are Kuldeep Rawat, who has previously contested the Kedarnath seat and finished second twice, Kuldeep Negi Azad and Chandi Prasad Bhatt. Speculation is rife that some of these potential candidates may switch to Congress if they do not secure a BJP ticket. To mitigate this risk, the party’s high command has reportedly proposed additional names, including former Uttarakhand chief ministers Tirath Singh Rawat and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, along with one of the daughters of the late General Bipin Rawat. Chauhan emphasised that all candidates were carefully considered based on regional, social and other prominent factors. The Kedarnath Assembly seat became vacant after the death of MLA Shaila Rani Rawat on July 9 after a prolonged illness.
Political experts opine that both the Congress and BJP are fiercely competing to secure the seat. For the BJP, the stakes are particularly high following its losses in the recent by-elections in Badrinath and Manglaur, where the Congress won. The Kedarnath by-election is seen as a prestige battle for the ruling party. Chauhan also expressed confidence that the public will certainly choose the BJP.
