The BJP has managed to find candidates for two out of three Assembly seats i.e. Someshwar and Dharchula but could not reach on consensus on Doiwala seat so they have empowered State BJP president Tirath Singh Rawat to send a panel before BJP parliamentary board as per his wish.
Now, BD Joshi, who was denied support in district Panchayat member election by Congress, will challenge Chief Minister Harish Rawat from Dharchula Assembly seat because two heavy weights leader Bachi Singh Rawat and Prakash Pant refused to contest while Mohan Ram Arya will contest against Congress candidate Rekha Arya from Someshwar seat. After this meeting, party has sent one name panel each for Someshwar and Dharchula seat while they could not reach on consensus on Doiwala Assembly seat.
To finalise the candidate State BJP in-charge and Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had convened a meeting with party leaders at Rishikesh on Sunday.
During meeting they reached on consensus on two seats i.e. Someshwar and Dharchula but could not reach on consensus on Doiwala because three Ex-CMs have been backing three different candidates. For instance Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri backing youth leader Saurabh Thapliyal; Bhagat Singh Koshiyari supporting Trivendra Singh Rawat and Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank pushing the name of women leader Ruchi Bhatt.
Although BJP national secretary Trivendra Singh Rawat is striving hard to get the ticket from Doiwala but sources said that Ex-CM Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has not given his consent on the name of Rawat.
Besides it BJP did not get senior candidate to give fight to CM Rawat, who is contesting by-election from Dharchula seat, so indirectly CM would get walk over on the seat. Although officially no confirmation came so far but sources said BJP parliamentary board may declare candidate by Monday.
BJP, which had announced their candidate much before the congress during general election-2014, has missed the momentum because they are yet to declare the candidate for three assembly seats while congress has declared their candidate. Even first two days of nomination for by poll went without any nomination. With this BJP candidate would get less time for canvassing.
Sources said that Trivendra singh Rawat, who had represented the Doiwala seat twice i.e. between 2002-07 and 2007-2012, has been receiving stiff resistence from Ex CM and Haridwar MP Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. Rawat had left the seat (Doiwala) after delimitation-2008 and contested Assembly election-2012 from Raipur Assembly seat because Dr Nishank had expressed his desire to contest from Doiwala because Dr Nishank’s seat Thallisain had merged with other constituency. In this triangular fight within party BJP may field another heavy weight from Doiwala.
Meanwhile party leaders have reached on consensus on two seats i.e. Someshwar and Dharchula. Former district Panchayat president Mohan Ram Arya would contest against congress candidate Rekha Arya and BD Joshi would give fight to CM Harish Rawat.
Ironically two seats out of three i.e. Doiwala and Someshwar were vacated by BJP MlAs Nishank and Ajay Tamta respectively after winning from Haridwar and Almora lS seat in recently concluded General election-2014 and Dharchula seat was vacated by congress MlA Harish Dhami in favour of CM Harish Rawat, who will have to become member of vidhan sabha before August 1, 2014.
