All preparations in place for Champawat bypoll, CM Dhami went door to door

All preparations in place for Champawat bypoll, CM Dhami went door to door

B.D.Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, May 30

All preparations have been made to hold polling for the Champawat assembly segment bypoll in which Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is ruling BJP candidate. The campaigning for the bypoll came to an end on Sunday evening, however, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami went on a door to door campaign and visited some of the area on a motorcycle.

The legal necessity for Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to enter the state legislature within six months after taking over the reins of the state prompted the Champawat BJP legislator Kailash Gehtori to resign his seat paving the way for Dhami to contest the bypoll. Interestingly, while the ruling BJP won 47 seats out of total 70 in state assembly elections held in February ,2022, Chief Minister Puskhar Singh Dhami lost his own assembly segment of Khatima. But he was retained by BJP leadership as Chief Minister.

According to poll officials, all the polling parties for 151 polling booths have reached their respective booths by late evening today to hold the poll on May 31.

” The polling situated in distant and far off areas, where the polling parties have to travel on foot from 4 km to 17 km, were dispatched on Sunday. The polling booth at Kotkendre, is situated at a distance of 17 km from main road, followed by Durga Pipal, Khirdwari, Danda, and Riyansi, which are 15 km  to 19 km from the main road,” said Narendra Singh Bhandari, District Election Officer, Champawat.

Both the ruling BJP and main opposition Congress party who are the main contestants have claimed to reach each and every corner of the assembly segment spread in hills as well as in the plain areas.

“Over twenty of our top leaders, who had participated in the campaign from June 5, have returned after the campaign ceased on Sunday evening, “said Kailash Sharma, in charge of BJP campaign committee for the bye-election.

Senior BJP leaders predicted a record breaking victory for Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami this time claiming the party will get overwhelming support and votes. ” We will win the seat with a margin of over 50,000 votes, “claimed Kedar Joshi, a senior BJP leader.

According to congress sources, the party focussed on the communal agenda of the ruling BJP  inspite of rising unemployment and inflation. ” We have tried  to tell the voters that the developmental programmes started by the Congress days in the constituency have been stalled since BJP came in power in the stat,” said Himesh Kharkwal, a former congress MLA from the seat and incharge of Congress campaign. Nirmala Gehtori a former Zila Parishad chief is Congress candidate following refusal by Himesh Kharkwal to contest this time.

According to the congress campaign in charge, more than two dozen Congress leaders from the including former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, state leader Pritam Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Tamta, Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya and others campaigned for the party candidate..

“While the congress campaign was half hearted, the BJP campaigned with full devotion, specially Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, his wife and party workers worked hard to reach every voters. Senior BJP leader and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, also pitched in to address a mass gathering of 50000 people in Tanakpur  during the campaign,” said Kedar Joshi.

“The counting of votes will be taken on June 3, for which 65 employees have been trained. The counting will be completed in 23 rounds, for which 12 tables have been installed in the counting room,” said Narendra Singh Bhandari, Chief Election Officer for the by election.