The Tharali assembly by- elections scheduled for May 28, has heated up the political scenario of Uttarakhand. Prominent leaders from both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are fighting it out in the battlefield of Tharali. To review the pace of BJP campaign and give necessary instructions, the National Joint General Secretary of BJP Shiv Prakash would camp at Tharali on May 18 and 19.
Informing about the visit, the state media in charge of BJP, Devendra Bhasin said that Shiv Prakash would address party workers at Ghat and Narayanbagar. The workers of Nandprayag and Ghat would take part in the convention of Ghat while workers of Tharali, Deval and Narayanbagar areas would assemble at Narayanbagar. During his visit, the senior party functionary and ideologue would give direction to party workers and review the campaign strategy of the party. Shiv Prakash would also take meetings of election coordination committee and core group during his two day stay in Tharali. The State party President Ajay Bhatt, state general secretary (organisation) Sanjay Kumar, Minister of State for higher education Dhan Singh Rawat, Badrinath MlA Mahendra Bhatt and President of District unit of party Mohan Prasad Thapliyal would accompany Shiv Prakash.
The importance BJP attaches to Tharali assembly by election can be gauged from the fact that it has appointed Minister of state for cooperative and higher education Dhan Singh Rawat as in- charge there. He is camping in Tharali ever since the party candidate, Munni Devi filed her nomination papers. Rawat has a reputation of being a key strategist and has proven his organizational capabilities time and again. The Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat would also campaign for the party candidate in Tharali for two days. On the other hand, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat is directly controlling the Congress campaign. Former Minister Rajendra Singh Bhandari and Kedarnath MlA Manoj Rawat are also camping in Tharali in support of party candidate Jeet Ram.
In coming days both the parties are expected to throw their national leaders in the campaign. In the list of star campaigners, BJP has named its party President Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Aditya Nath and central leaders Smriti Irani and Thaawar Chand Gehlot while Congress’s list includes Party president Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Siddhu and Raj Babbar.
Tharali by election has been necessitated due to the death of Magan lal Shah due to Swine flu. Shah had defeated Jeet Ram in the assembly elections of 2017. In hope of getting sympathy votes, BJP gave party ticket to Munni Devi, the widow of Shah.