The past elections show that the results have followed a certain trend. These trends have given rise to beliefs like a person holding education portfolio faces a bad omen in the elections and the party which wins from Gangotri Assembly constituency invariably forms the Government.
The fate of all the contesting 628 candidates in fray was sealed inside the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) on Wednesday after voting. The results of the elections would be disclosed on March 11 and apart from knowing about winners and the party in position to form the new Government, people would also keenly observe whether or not these electoral beliefs hold true or are shattered.
It is believed that a person holding education portfolio is not able to win the elections after his tenure. In the congress Government formed after first Assembly elections in the year 2002 senior leader Narendra Singh Bhandari was Education Minister. In the Assembly elections of 2007 Bhandari was Congress nominee from Pauri Assembly constituency but he lost the electoral battle finishing third behind Yashpal Benam (Independent) and Tirath Singh Rawat. The loss sent formidable Bhandari into political oblivion. In the Bharatiya Janata Party government formed in 2007, Govind Singh Bisht and Khajan Das were made education ministers but their electoral prospects were considered so weak that BJP did not even fielded them in the assembly elections of 2012.
This time the Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani is locked in a keen four cornered contest in Devprayag assembly constituency and it would be interesting to know whether or not this omen proves correct or not. Similarly a win from Gangotri assembly constituency is believed to ensure government formation for the party to which the winner belongs. Vijay Pal Sajwan was MlA from Gangotri in the elections of 2002 and his party congress formed the government. In the elections of 2007 Gopal Singh Rawat of BJP won from here and his party formed the government. Vijay Pal Sajwan retained this seat in the elections of 2012 and a congress government was constituted in the state. Another interesting fact is associated with senior leader Harak Singh Rawat; he is known to change the constituency in the elections and emerge victorious. Before the creation of new state he used to contest from Pauri, later he contested from lansdowne in the elections of 2002 and 2007 and won. In the elections of 2012 he shifted to Rudraprayag and kept his reputation of a winner. This time too he has shifted base and is locked in tough battle with Surendra Singh Negi from Kotdwar.