Drenched in poll colours, supporters and political mentors accompanying the candidates filled city streets with political colour while on way to file their nominations for civic body polls on Friday, the last day to submit nomination papers. Drum beats together with slogan shouting further intensified colours of the poll, drawing battle lines of the polls. Echoing cheers in air put the commoners into political mood who spend their day having chat over delayed announcement of mayoral candidates by the two political majors.
Process of procession began in the morning. As temperature shot up, intensity of processions on streets deepened. As if the nominations were the final poll battle, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) put all their efforts in making their nomination show better than that of their rivals.
If the BJP candidates for the post of councilors took all efforts to keep the lotus intact, their Congress counterparts worked hard to hold Haath ka panja high. Not behind from their political rivals, the BSP candidates also put a colourful nomination show to prove that Elephant, the symbol of the BSP, is mighty and it is gradually enhancing its strength.
Uttarakhand Krati Dal (UKD) candidates and members didn't leave any stone unturned to make their nomination show a powerful. All the UKD candidates visited the party office where they sought blessings of the seniors before proceeding for submitting their nomination papers. The seniors were sitting ready to guide the juniors.
Processions passing through city streets gave a chance to commoners to do political analysis on the basis of 'size' and 'shape' of processions. Sipping a tea at a tea shop near Ghantaghar, a group of people, including elderly and youths, even predicted the outcome of several wards as if they were psephologists and had surveyed all 60 wards. Interestingly, they were not aware about the names of candidates on way to file their nominations.
Delayed announcement of mayoral candidates by the Congress and the BJP became cause of curiosity of the candidates, supporters and commoners who were keen to know the mayoral candidates of the BJP and the Congress. From city streets to nomination venue, people were seen making calls to know about the candidates finalized by the two parties. Soon after filing his nomination as a candidate came out of the nomination venues, he tried to know name of candidate finalized from a senior congress leader.
The Congress MlA Umesh Sharma Kau pacified the curiosity of the candidate saying, "Candidate has been finalized by the Party. Suryakant Dhashmana will contest the mayoral poll. Within 10 minutes, he would submit his nomination papers." The MlA gave a pat on back of the candidate. "Go and work hard in your ward and remember that now the poll would be interesting."
The MlA left the place soon as several supporters started approaching him to confirm that Dhashmana is official candidate of the Congress for mayoral post. This was the case in point among the BJP supporters. They also keep making call to know the name of BJP candidate for the post of mayor.
The process stopped after news trickled in that the sitting mayor Vinod Chamoli would be in fray as BJP candidates.
Drum beats, slogan shouting touched peak during noon and disappeared with the dipping mercury.
Police personnel worked hard to ensure peaceful nomination. Police personnel warned of strict action to the people who tried to breach the barricading by the police near nomination venue.