Strange but true. An audio tape purportedly trying to divide between hill and plain people surfaced here over the last few days. The audio tape has brought tremor in State politics especially in BJP as the speakers condemned the State party leadership for allegedly ignoring the candidates belonging to plain areas in Haridwar lok Sabha constituency, which has around 15 lakh voters, including 12.5 lakh in plain and 2.4 lakh in hill areas.
The tape, which contains voices of several leaders of different political parties, has become an issue for debate these days. In the tape, the speakers have condemned the BJP for fielding candidates, who belonged to hill areas, in all five lok Sabha seats of the State. Even in Haridwar, which is being considered as plains, they have fielded former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who belonged to Pauri district.
The tape has shaken the confidence of BJP senior leaders and they have activated their intelligence unit to find out the truth behind the tape. Talking to The Pioneer, State BJP president Tirath Singh Rawat, who is in Delhi, expressed unawareness about any such tape. He said that if it were true then he would conduct an enquiry to reveal the truth.
Sources said that Congress leaders were also putting pressure on Chief Minister Harish Rawat to field Rajendra Choudhary, who belonged to plains, as a candidate from Haridwar. Meanwhile, BSP hinted that the party might replace their declared candidate from Haridwar seat. If this happens then the forthcoming election contest would be plain verses hills.
In the tape, speakers said that three parliamentary seats having large presence of plains including Nainital, which comprised of 10 Assembly seats of plain including Ramnagar of Nainital district and nine seats of Udhamsinghnagar district; Tehri, which have six out of 14 Assembly seats belonged to plains and Haridwar, which have 13 out of 14 Assembly seats fall in plains. The speaker said that it was true that two seats - Nainital and Tehri have large number of hill voters but in Haridwar they have fielded a candidate which belonged to hill.
In the conversation, another speaker was stating that in 2009, BJP had fielded sitting Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik as an candidate from Haridwar lok Sabha seat and later they had withdrawn because a saint staged protest. This time again Madan’s ticket was denied by the party, so now time has come to make party realise plains presence in the Haridwar because when matter comes about Chief Minister seat then we are being denied by saying that hill leader will be made CM. In lok Sabha election hills leader being fielded then what we will do hereIJ They unanimously said that now time has come to force our high command to notice our presence.
Even speakers were unanimously saying that they would make request to Chief Minister Harish Rawat to field a candidate who belongs to plains and they would vote for them. By saying this they have put pressure on BJP candidate Nishank and Congress leaders as well.
If the Congress fields a candidate from Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s family including his wife Renuka Rawat or his daughter Anupama Rawat or his son Anand Rawat then Plain Vs Hill card would not an issue. Even they reportedly stated that they would appeal BSP supremo Mayawati to field plain candidate from Haridwar Parliamentary seat.
Sensing mood of people, who have become crazy to elect leaders from plains, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) may replace their declared candidate Mohammad Islam with ex-MlA Mohmmad Shahzad, who belongs to Haridwar itself. If this happens then fight would be interesting in Haridwar, out of five lok Sabha seats of the State.