The electoral fate of 11 political heavy weights, including nine Cabinet Ministers, being sealed in the electronic voting machines on Wednesday, the leaders are choosing to keep their fingers crossed with the people maintaining a studied silence in a departure from the past trends. Even those close to the Chief Minister Harish Rawat who is in the fray from two seats in two districts are not sounding confident enough even hours after the polling was completed.
Some of the State biggies seem to have thrown up their hands in despair as it was reported that the poling percentage went up surpassing the figure of the previous face off. Observers say that many of the State stalwarts might kiss the dust of defeat this time, given the anti-incumbency blowing hard. “The higher voter turnout is an ill omen for many of the incumbent lawmakers,” said one of them. Besides, many of the state watchers opine that many stalwarts might be trounced in the hands of the rebels from within their own parties. "It would not be surprising if a number of the Congress turncoats fighting as BJP candidates face rout with the rebels fighting as independents finishing winners. If it happens it might lead to a hung Assembly with the independents being in the position of king makers," said a political analysts.
In particular, the positions of the two former cabinet ministers Harak Singh Rawat and Yashpal Arya who quit the Congress-helmed government to join BJP are precarious despite their banking on the Modi magic to pull through. Kotdwar constituency witnessing a clash of titans, Harak being tagged as an outsider is battling it hard against the formidable state health minister Surendra Singh Negi who enjoys the stature of a local rooted in the collective mind of the voters.
State finance minister Indira Hridayesh's fight was also a tough one this time despite the huge margin win she secured in the previous face-off. Haldwani Mayor Jogendra Rautela who contested on BJP ticket is supposed to have given the Congress veteran a run for her money. Even in case she wins her winning margin is likely to be drastically reduced, say the observers.
Three cabinet ministers from Dehradun -Preetam Singh, Navprabhat and Dinesh Aggrawal being in the fray from Chakrata, Vikasnagar and Dharmpur constituencies are facing formidable contenders. Preetam Singh faced the former Dehradun district panchayat president Madhu Chauhan, wife of the state BJP chief spokesperson Munna Singh Chauhan. True, Preetam has never tasted defeat since the first election 2002 after Uttarakhand was formed in 2000. But things are far from smooth for him this time. Navprabhat has tasted victory and defeat alike. He won the 2002 election and became a cabinet minister. However, he was defeated in 2007 election.
He again bounced back in 2012 election and was inducted into the cabinet at the fag end of the ministry's term.
Dinesh Aggrawal, who has never tasted defeat since inception of Uttarakhand, has locked horns with two time Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli. The contest might end in a photo finish with both the contenders running neck and neck.
Two other ministers Preetam Singh Panwar and Dinesh Dhanai contested as Independents from Dhanaulty and Tehri respectively. Both are on sticky wickets with Congress having fielded its candidates. Things were ambiguous with Congress having lent support while Manmohan Mall remained in the fray as the official Congress nominee. Similarly, Dhanai whom Congress facilitated by relocating the state PCC president Kishore Upadhyay to Sahaspur is facing a tough fight with Congress role remaining shrouded in dichotomy.
Two Independent Mantri Prasad Naithani and Harish Chand Durgapal who had won election-2012 as Independents contested this time as Congress candidates from Devprayay and lalkuan. Naithani does not have an easy road ahead.