With the ruling Congress party trying to strengthen its position in the upcoming bypoll-bound assembly constituencies even by way of enacting some political maneuverings, it would not be less challenging for the principal Opposition party in the State, the BJP, to maintain its winning streak in these bypolls post lok Sabha elections.
The fact of the matter is that the ruling Congress party has made up its mind to field Chief Minister Harish Rawat from the Dharchula assembly segment only after weighing all pros and cons. So now it is more than confident to register its victory in that Dharchula assembly constituency.
Among the factors that have given the ruling Congress party reasons to be confident about its win in Dharchula seat is that it has been a Congress stronghold. More so, the same Dharchual assembly segment was among the only seven seats in which the ruling Congress party in the State managed to maintain its lead in the recently concluded general elections, though it lost all the five lok Sabha seats.
That is why despite having the Doiwala assembly constituency vacant after incumbent Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank’s victory
from the Haridwar lok Sabha seat, Chief Minister Rawat got the Dharchula seat vacated from his own party MlA Harish Dhami only to secure his victory.
Now the BJP is yet to make up its mind whom it should field against Chief Minister Rawat in the Dharchula assembly segment where it ended up getting third position in the assembly polls in 2012.
Among senior BJP leaders like Bachi Singh Rawat, who defeated Chief Minister Rawat in the Almora-Pithoragarh parliamentary constituency on many occasions in the past, has already declined party’s offer to contest the assembly election against his arch rival Chief Minister Rawat.
When asked about his candidature from this seat, Rawat said: “We have many potential candidates at local level in Pithoragarh to contest from Dharchual seat. So now, chance must be given to them,” he added.
Similarly, with Rekha Arya switching sides from the BJP to the Congress party recently, the BJP may have to face a tough time to save the Someshwar (reserved seat) in Almora which was vacant after incumbent BJP leader Ajay Tamta’s victory from the Almora-Pithoragarh lok Sabha seat.
Because Rekha Arya is considered to be a strong contender in this seat and now she is a Congress candidate from that seat.
It may be recalled earlier Rekha Arya was with the Congress party. But she quit the party when Congress party denied her ticket from the same Someshwar seat in the assembly elections in 2012. However, she fought the Assembly polls from the Someshwar seat as an independent candidate in 2012 and ended up getting second position pushing the Congress candidate in third position. later, she joined the BJP. So this time, she could give a tough time to the BJP in the upcoming by poll in this reserved seat.
With many claimants from the BJP, including senior leader Trivendra Rawat seeking ticket from the Doiwala seat, it would be interesting to see whether the BJP manages to retain its seats in the upcoming bypolls.