PNS/ NAINITAL
With less than a week left for the end of the campaigning period for the Jan 23 urban local body polls, it is reaching its crescendo now across the State. Leaders and activists along with the candidates of the principal contesting parties-BJP and Congress-are out in full strength to canvass for votes. The same is true for the Nagar Palika of Nainital. But unlike in other civic bodies where the contest is limited to the two parties, it is no so here. The independent candidate for the post of the chairperson Deepa Mishra-a popular teacher with a clean image- has emerged as a force to reckon with, given her clout to dent into the bipolar electoral scenario. She has at least the potential to become a dangerous vote-cutter; she may substantially eat into the votes of the two national parties. The only regional party Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) cannot be brushed aside either. It is also going the whole hog to break into the polarised electoral scene while flaunting its empathy for the ‘deprived’ people of the hills.
Observers say that the election results in Nagar Palika Parishad, Nainital have always been unpredictable with independent candidates having beaten the aspirants of the national parties many times. This time, due to the chairperson’s post being reserved for women, the contest has become all the more interesting. BJP’s Jeevanti Bhatt is striking a chord with the voters for her perceived incorruptibility while Congress’s Saraswati Khetwal is quite a name in the social sector. “The result may spring a surprise. It seems poised to be a close one, even bordering on a cliff-hanger,” observed a long-time political watcher.
