Friday 05 April 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Short of resources and apparently demoralised by a slew of defections, the campaign of the Congress party in the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand appears to be lagging behind the ruling BJP. With less than two weeks remaining for the end of the campaigning in the State where voting will be held in the first phase on April 19, the campaign of the Congress party has looked lacklustre so far.
The ruling BJP on the other hand has stepped up its campaign with its top leaders hitting the campaign trail. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already addressed a mega rally in Rudrapur of Udham Singh Nagar district and on Thursday the national president of BJP, JP Nadda started his extensive two-day tour of the State. On Thursday, Nadda addressed public meetings in Pithoragarh and Vikasnagar in Dehradun and on Friday he will take out a road show in Haridwar in support of BJP candidate Trivendra Singh Rawat. Union minister Smriti Irani was present during the filing of nomination papers by BJP candidate from Garhwal Anil Baluni in Pauri. She has also addressed a public meeting in Pauri.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale was in the State on Thursday during which he met many dalit leaders. Apart from the visits of central leaders, the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is working overtime to ensure victory of all the five candidates of the party. He has already addressed many public meetings and held roadshows in all parts of the State. Dhami was in active mode even before enforcement of the model code of conduct (MCC). He has taken the election campaign of the party in his own hands and has plunged himself into a hectic campaign.
On the other hand no central leader of the Congress party has visited the State so far. The newly appointed in charge of the State Congress Kumari Selja is conspicuous by her absence. The party was planning to hold a rally of its former President Rahul Gandhi in Haldwani on April 8 but it has now been cancelled. In such a situation all the five candidates are fighting on their own in their respective constituencies. The senior most leader of the State Congress Harish Rawat is very active in Haridwar parliamentary constituency where his son Virendra Rawat is locked in battle with Trivendra Singh Rawat of BJP.
However Rawat has got so engrossed in Haridwar that he is not stepping out of the constituency. Given his stature Rawat’s indulgence in the election campaign in Almora, Nainital- Udham Singh Nagar and Garhwal seats could have proven beneficial for the party. Harak Singh Rawat, considered to be a mass leader, has kept a distance from the election campaign. The Congress candidate from Garhwal Ganesh Godiyal is learnt to have requested Rawat to campaign in his support but he has so far remained away from the campaign. There are speculations that he is planning to defect to BJP.
The vice president of Uttarakhand Congress Mathuradutt Joshi told The Pioneer that the senior leaders and star campaigners of the party will hold public meetings in the State from April 6 to 15. He said that the party is firmly contesting the elections in the State and its candidates are receiving huge response from the people.
