Ex-CM Maj Gen (retd) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, who is contesting general election from Garhwal lok Sabha seat, is getting tough competition from his Opposition party candidate and State Cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat, has appealed to the party high command to fix BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's public meeting in his constituency.
Besides it, candidates from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Haridwar and Almora have also demanded NaMo rally in their constituency. Following on it, Modi may address four public meetings in Almora, Rudrapur, Roorkee and Srinagar (Garhwal). Besides it, around 40 leaders would visit Uttarakhand to lure the voters. Meanwhile, BJP national president Rajnath Singh and former BJP national president Nitin Gadkari have given date to have one public meeting each in four lok Sabha constituencies.
Sources said that Gen Khanduri, who had lost Kotdwar seat during Assembly election-2012 and BJP lost race with congress by one seat, is not leaving any stones unturned; so he is busy in campaigning.Talking to The Pioneer, State BJP election war room in-charge Virendra Singh Bisht said that currently two leaders including Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari have confirmed their visit to Uttarakhand. In which Rajnath will address public meeting on May 5 and Gadkari would address public meeting on April 30. Besides it, NaMo may address four public meeting in first week of May but official confirmation yet to come.
It would be pertinent to mention here that Garhwal lok Sabha seat spreads in five districts of the State and comprised of 14 assembly constituencies. In which three out of 14 seats are being represented by BJP legislatures including Tirath Singh Rawat (Chaubattakhal), Vijaya Berthwal (Yamkeshwar) and Dilip Singh Rawat (lansdown) while ten seats including Rajendra Singh Bhandari (Badrinath), Prof Jeet Ram (Tharali), Dr Anusuya Prasad Maikhuri (Karnprayag), Shailarani Rawat (Kedarnath), Harak Singh Rawat (Rudraprayag), Subodh Uniyal (Narendranagar), Sunderlal Manderwal (Pauri), Ganesh Godiyal (Srinagar), Surendra Singh Negi (Kotdwar) and Amrita Rawat (Ramnagar) represented by Congress MlAs and one independent MlA Mantri Prasad Naithani (Deoprayag) in Garhwal lok Sabha seat. Currently, one out of three BJP MlAs, Tirath Singh Rawat is State BJP president; so he is unable to give his 100 per cent in Garhwal constituency. Although BJP was considering Garhwal lok Sabha seat as safest out of five seats of the state but Gen Khanduri is taking all precautionary measures to ensure his victory.
Sources further said that BJP high command is watching every movement closely so they sent their national secretary Ram lal to review the situation in the State. In this regard Ramlal convened a meeting with party workers in Haldwani, Rudrapur and Dehradun on Tuesday.
Ironically Gen Khanduri is contesting lok sabha election from Garhwal (earlier known as Pauri lok Sabha) since 1991 against congress candidate Satpal Maharaj except in general election-2009. This time Maharaj is with BJP, but he is quite busy in other lok Sabha constituencies of the different States.