Five candidates who filed nomination papers are left in the fray for the May 28 Tharali Assembly by -poll with none having withdrawn candidature on Monday, the last day of the withdrawal. The election symbols have also been allotted to the candidates on Monday.
The returning officer of the Tharali Assembly by- poll, Parmanand Ram said that the scene was clear as no candidate had withdrawn nomination on Monday, the last date of the withdrawal of nomination. “Five candidates are now left in the contest for the by- election. They are Munni Devi Shah (BJP), Prof Jeet Ram (Congress), Kashbi lal Shah (UKD), Kunwar Ram (Communist Party of India Marxist) and an independent Beere Ram,” he said. He further said that the symbols have also been allotted to the candidates left in the fray. “While three candidates of national parties BJP, Congress and CPI(M) have been allotted their symbols the candidate of the regional party Uttarakhand Kranti Dal has been allotted a cup and a plate as his symbol and the lone independent candidate has got harmonium as his symbol,” he added.
However, observers say that it would be a straight fight between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress with the scales being evenly balanced between them. “The two parties take turns to win the seat and there is hardly any possibility of any third party making a significant dent into votes to make a difference to the electoral tradition,” said a state watcher.
Notably, the by-poll has been necessitated by the death of the BJP MlA Magan lal Shah to Swine Flu infection in February this year. late Shah had defeated Jeet Ram of the Congress by margin of 4,921 votes in the 2017 Assembly elections riding on the crest of the Modi wave that swept the state at the time. However, in the 2012 Assembly election, Jeet Ram had been elected from the constituency as he had defeated his nearest BJP candidate Shah.