The Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay averred that the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to dupe the voters with an eye on the Karnprayag Vidhan Sabha constituency election to be held on March 9. Addressing the media at the Congress Bhawan on Sunday, the PCC chief said that talk of progressing towards making Gairsain the State capital was one of the aspects of the BJP’s attempts to elicit the favour of voters in the Karnprayag constituency.
Referring to a statement made recently by the BJP State head Ajay Bhatt about making Gairsain the permanent State capital, the PCC president said that this was little more than an attempt to dupe the people of Uttarakhand. Trying to secure credit for Gairsain, Upadhyay stressed that it was the Congress party which had accorded importance to Gairsain. He said, “It was the Congress State Government which held Cabinet meetings at Gairsain. It was the Congress party’s government which also held the Vidhan Sabha sessions at Gairsain, clearly showing our party’s commitment to Gairsain,” said the PCC chief while reiterating that the BJP was issuing a false assurance to the public about making Gairsain the permanent state capital.
Expressing confidence about the chances of the Congress candidate and sitting MlA Anusuya Prasad Maikhuri, the PCC chief averred that the Congress candidate would win the election by a large margin because he had facilitated the execution of various developmental works in the constituenciey. In addition to the work he had facilitated in the Karnprayag constituency, Maikhuri is also appreciated by the people of the region for his simple nature which will ensure his victory. The PCC chief also went on to accuse the BJP of resorting to the use of money in order to influence the Karnprayag polls. Upadhyay said, “It is unfortunate that the BJP used money widely in the Vidhan Sabha election held and is now again doing the same with an eye on the polling to be held in the Karnprayag constituency,” he said, while stressing that this is a cause of serious concern.
The PCC president also referred to the investigating agencies reportedly hinting at the probability of some BJP members being involved in a child-trafficking ring which was busted in the recent past in the state of West Bengal. He went on to question what the role of the BJP was in this criminal nexus. Other office bearers of the PCC were also among those present in the Press conference.