With the polling date for the Bageshwar assembly by-election drawing near, the political parties in the fray- the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress- are sharpening their campaign pitch. While the BJP is defending its traditional redoubt the Congress is bent on wresting the seat from the saffron stranglehold to stage a comeback in the State’s political arena ahead of the general election slated next year.

The BJP’s district in-charge minister Saurabh Bahuguna has been camping in Bageshwar since the day of nomination and three more ministers, including the PWD minister Satpal Maharaj, have reached Bageshwar to make a pitch to the voters. The chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had addressed the electorate on the day of nomination and he will again lead the party’s poll campaign from the front in its last leg for two days- September 2 and 3.  It is learnt from the BJP leaders that a battery of ministers is likely to come along with the CM to make the final pitch to the voters. 

The opposition Congress, on the other hand, is pulling out all the stops to register victory in the BJP’s bastion. Aside from the State party president Karan Mahara,  the leader of the opposition in the assembly Yashpal Arya has been doing a brisk campaign. While Congress state in-charge Devendra Yadav is staying put in Bageshwar, the  former CM and party veteran Harish Rawat has already hit the campaign trail. He is likely to be camping here till September 1. The former State party president Pritam Singh addressed the electorate on Tuesday. 

The polling for the by-election is slated on September 5 and the votes will be taken up for counting on September 8.