Though the BJP is yet to finalise its candidates for the Assembly bypolls in three Vidhan Sabha constituencies in Uttarakhand, the Congress is confident of winning from all the three constituencies.
Congress leaders in Uttarakhand believe that considering the support received by Congress in the recently concluded Panchayat elections and the works being undertaken by the Congress-led State Government, the party’s candidates would be able to win the bypolls without much difficulty.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Congress has already declared Chief Minister Harish Rawat as its candidate from Dharchula Vidhan Sabha constituency, former State Cabinet Minister Hira Singh Bisht from Doiwala constituency and Rekha Arya from Someshwar constituency.
According to observers, the Chief Minister is likely to win the Assembly bypoll from Dharchula constituency comfortably because the constituency is considered to be a Congress stronghold as claimed by former MlA of the constituency, Harish Dhami who had resigned from membership of legislative assembly to make way for the CM.
Hira Singh Bisht had lost the 2012 assembly election from Doiwala constituency to BJP candidate Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ but this was attributed to SP Singh contesting as an independent candidate after being denied the Congress ticket.
With Singh returning to the Congress, Bisht is expected to receive more votes in the assembly bypolls as compared to the assembly elections. Rekha Arya too is believed to be in a strong position in Someshwar constituency.
According to the Congress State spokesman Dhirendra Pratap, the results of the recently concluded Panchayat elections show that the people were carried away by the “misinformation” spread by the BJP during the parliamentary elections but have now realised that the Congress is the only party capable to facilitating the desired level of development.