Ending speculation on choice of its candidate, the Congress party on Tuesday formally announced that former Block Pramukh, Anju Lunthi, would be its candidate from the Pithoragarh by-election. She would file her nomination papers on Wednesday which is the last date of the nomination for the crucial by- election. Making announcement for the name of Lunthi, the vice president of the State unit of Congress party, Surya Kant Dhasmana, said that the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Pritam Singh and Leader of Opposition in State Assembly, Indira Hridayesh, decided the name of Lunthi after elaborate discussions with senior party leaders and office bearers of the party from Pithoragarh.
Dhasmana said that Lunthi is a former Block Pramukh and was elected unopposed as member, district Panchayat, this time. He claimed that Lunthi would emerge victorious in the contest.
After refusal of local heavyweight and former MLA Mayukh Mahar and reluctance shown by other senior leaders like former MP Mahendra Singh Mahara, Jagat Singh Khati and Mathura Dutt Joshi to enter electoral fray in the by- election, several junior level leaders of the Congress party were staking their claims for the ticket.
The leadership of the State Congress, however, decided to leave the choice of candidate on Mayukh Mahar who forwarded the name of his protege Lunthi for the seat.
By fielding Lunthi, who belongs to a political family the Congress party, has ensured an all-women fight in the by-election. The ruling BJP in order to cash in on the sympathy factor has fielded Chandra Pant, the wife of former Finance Minister late Prakash Pant. Apart from being a woman having political and administrative experience, the support of local heavyweight Mayuk Mahar clinched deal in favour of Lunthi. Since Lunthi belongs to Rajput community, the Congress party is also eying the Rajput vote bank which is in dominance in the constituency to counter the sympathy factor of the BJP candidate.
The Pithoragarh bypoll is necessitated by the death of the former Finance Minister Prakash Pant who represented the constituency. The voting for the by-election would be held on November 25. The last date of the nomination is November 6 and the scrutiny of the nomination papers would be done on November 7.
The last date of withdrawal of the nomination papers is November 11. The counting of votes would be done on November 28 and the result would be declared on the same day.