Sunday, 30 JUNE 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
With the election campaign for the Badrinath and Manglaur Assembly by elections becoming hectic, the Uttarakhand Congress has pressed its senior leaders into the campaign. The voting in both these constituencies will be held on July 10. Considering the importance of the by elections which are being held after the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has inducted its top leaders in the campaign.
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara started campaigning in support of the party candidate from Badrinath constituency Lakhpat Butola from Friday. The political advisor to the PCC president, Amarjeet Singh told The Pioneer that Mahara will camp in Badrinath till the day of voting. Apart from Mahara, the former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal is also camping in Badrinath. Godiyal who was Congress candidate from Garhwal seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections has made the Badrinath by-election as an issue of his prestige. In his public meetings Godiyal is reminding people about the betrayal of Rajendra Singh Bhandari the local MLA who left the Congress during the LS polls and is now the BJP candidate from the constituency in the by elections.
Former chief minister Harish Rawat is campaigning extensively in Manglaur constituency and seeking votes for Congress candidate Qazi Nizamuddin. Though Rawat is focusing on Manglaur, he has already toured Badrinath and is likely to visit the area again. The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in State assembly Yashpal Arya is also campaigning in Manglaur which has a substantial population of Dalits. Former PCC president Pritam Singh is camping in Badrinath constituency and is holding public meetings in villages and towns.
Former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot and Saharanpur MP Imran Masood are likely to visit Manglaur in the coming days. Party leaders opine that being a Gurjar, Pilot will be able to woo the Gurjar vote bank in Manglaur. The BJP has fielded Kartar Singh Bhadana, a Gurjar from Manglaur constituency. Similarly Imran Masood who has won from Saharanpur LS seat of Uttar Pradesh by defeating Raghav Lakhanpal of BJP in the recent LS elections will help in influencing Muslim voters of Manglaur.
