Alarmed over Congress stalwarts swarming into BJP, one after another, ahead of the crucial February 15 election and getting the party tickets then and there, the BJP activists staged sit-ins at the party headquarters on Wednesday two days after the first list of the contestants involving 64 out of 70 seats was declared. While protesting against the party ignoring loyalty to please the Congress heavyweights, now in a switching spree, they also protested against the party foisting an outsider on the Rajpur Road seat. Notably, the former MlA from Dhanaulty was given ticket for the Rajpur Road constituency, triggering anger among the leaders and the activists of the party holding the fort there for years. The followers of the sitting Dhanaulty MlA, Mahavir Singh Rangad demonstrated against the party denying ticket to him.
However, more interestingly, supporters of the Dehradun mayor Vinod Chmoli staged demonstration at the party headquarters, canvassing for ticket for their leader for the Dharampur seat. An observer jocularly said that with the Congress stalwarts crossing over to BJP with alacrity, the mayor is worried lest the incumbent Congress MlA and the state forest and sports minister Dinesh Agarwal switches sides at the eleventh hour and is bestowed with the saffron ticket, robbing Chamoli of the long-sought after nomination.
The party activists from Chamoli district joined protest on Wednesday, venting anger against the list for the district that allegedly ignored the old timers.
The stir spree continuing, wrinkles of worry are deepening on the brows of the party’s state brass. “We are not unduly worried with the stir gaining more and more momentum with passing days. How can we fight if a large section of the party’s rank and file is turning their heat on the candidates’ listIJ We must admit that the party high command has not done justice to them. But the list once declared being irreversible, the need of the hour is to put out the embers of anger among the party workers to let the party be in the real spirit of the fight. The disgruntled must be mollycoddled as shorn of their support, we are nothing,” said a state party leader on ground of anonymity.
With the party yet to lay its cards regarding three seats in Dehradun district- Dharampur, Vikasnagar and Chakrata-the activists canvassing tickets for their leaders have decided to step up pressure on the party leadership. “BJP being known as a regimented party, we know that the list once announced is final. That is why we are mounting pressure in advance,” said a party activist from Dharampur mayor Vinod Chamoli’s eyes are on.
BJP keeping open three seats in Nainital district too-Bhimtal, Ramnagar and Haldwani-, speculations are swirling in the party circles after the former CM of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, ND Tiwari along with his son Rohit Shekhar crossed over to BJP that one of the three seats would be given to Rohit Shekhar. If things go this way as expected, it would spawn widespread resentment among the party workers who are grass-root pillars of the party’s supposed well-oiled election machinery.
Meanwhile, many leaders having sway in the areas they are from are coming out in the public, making their intention clear to plunge into the contest as independent candidates. BJP leader from Yamunotri Surat Ram Nautiyal said that though the party has the power to give tickets to anyone it thinks suitable the final power to elect or reject rests with the people. “I have decided to contest as an independent from Yamunotri constituency,” he affirmed. Echoing the same, former Kedarnath MlA Asha Nauityal said that the party had favoured a new entrant with the ticket despite her toiling for years to build the party here, brick by brick. “How can I forget the tough fight I as the party candidate gave to the Congress nominee Shailarani Rawat during election 2012IJ Now ironically, Rawat is the BJP candidate here while I am out,” she rued.