Dehradun: With the nomination process starting on October 22, BJP and Congress are in the race with each other to announce their candidate for Kedarnath by-poll.
The by-poll would be held on November 20. While BJP has sent its panel of possible candidates to its central leadership, Congress party is busy in shortlisting the names of potential candidates.
Congress constituted a 4-member panel to collect feedback about the contenders for its ticket
Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has constituted a 4-member panel to collect feedback about the ticket seekers who want to contest the Kedarnath by-polls scheduled to be held on November 20. The panel, headed by former chief of UPCC Ganesh Godiyal, may visit Kedarnath assembly constituency tomorrow to talk to the party workers, locals and the party’s ticket seekers.
BJP & Congress are leaving nothing to chance in their efforts to win the by-poll
Both the parties- ruling BJP and Opposition Congress- are in no mood to leave anything to chance in their efforts to register victory in the Kedarnath by-poll. Kedarnath by-poll is necessitated due to the death of the BJP’s MLA Shaila Rawat. She had won this seat in the 2022 assembly polls. So, the by-poll is set to witness a tight contest between the BJP and the Congress.
Congress sees Kedarnath by-poll as an opportunity to boost morale of its workers
The opposition Congress, which is struggling hard to restore its old base across the hill state after facing defeat in all the five Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 LS polls, consider the Kedarnath by-poll as an opportunity to enhance the confidence of party cadres in the state. The party is already buoyed by its victory in the by-polls held in Badrinath and Mangalore assembly seat in July.
“We hope to announce our candidates for the Kedarnath seat within a week. The nomination process will begin on October 22. Congress party’s state unit will shortlist the potential candidates for Kedarnath by-poll. The final decision will be taken by the national leadership,” UPCC’s vice president Mathura Dutt Joshi told reporters.
Manoj Rawat is front-runner for Congress ticket
Sources in the Congress party said several leaders have joined the race to become the party’s nominee for Kedarnath by-poll. So, the party is faced with a tough task to select the right candidate who is popular in the Kedarnath assembly constituency. Congress leader Manoj Rawat, who had won this seat as Congress’ nominee in 2017 assembly polls, is front-runner in the race for bagging the party’s symbol. Manoj has been continuously touring the constituency’s different parts despite facing defeat in the 2022 assembly polls. “He is popular in this area. So, he may become the choice of the Congress party’s high command,” a source in the Congress party said.
BJP sent its panel of possible candidates to its central leadership
On the contrary, the BJP has also expedited its process for the selection of its candidate to field in the Kedarnath by-poll. Sources said BJP’s state unit has already sent a panel of six possible candidates to the central leadership. Besides, the party has already tasked five ministers to remain in touch with party workers as well as voters in different parts of the Kedarnath seat.
