Cong repeats its 3 Haridwar MLAs for election battle
HARIDWAR: The three Congress MALs from Haridwar, who have been fielded again for the February 14 state assembly elections, say they are making all efforts to win the polls as the party has reposed faith in them.
In the first candidates’ list, the Congress repeated Manglaur MLA Qazi Nizamuddin, Hazi Furkan Ahmed (Piran Kaliyar) and Mamta Rakesh (Bhagwanpur). The Congress has the highest number of legislators in the current assembly from Haridwar district. The BJP has 8 legislators from the district.
“I am thankful to the party high command, state election campaign committee president Harish Rawat, state president Ganesh Godiyal, leader of opposition Pritam Singh and every Congress worker for giving me another chance to serve people of Manglaur. Through virtual mode and door-to-door contacts I have already started my election campaign,” said Nizamuddin.
A three-time legislator from Manglaur, Nizamuddin had won 2002 and 2007 assembly elections as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. He switched over to the Congress in 2012, but lost. He won for the third time in 2017 on a Congress ticket. This time Nizamuddin is pitted against BJP candidate Dinesh Pawar, a former IITian and son of twotime UP legislator Tejpal Singh Pawar. Nizamuddin’s father Qazi Mohiuddin was a five-time legislator in the Uttar Pradesh assembly and was its first pro-tem speaker.
Hazi Furkan Ahmed has been repeated from Piran Kaliyar, famous for Sabir Pak dargah. Furkan had won in 2012 and 2017 polls and was a cabinet ranked minister in the previous Congress government.
The BJP has not yet named announced a candidate for Piran Kaliyar. The Bahujan Samaj Party has named Mohammed Shahzad, a two-time legislator from Bahadrabad.
“It’s a major responsibility to win this seat again and help the party in forming government. The party high command and state leadership have reposed faith in me. I am grateful to them and will try to live up to their expectations,” said Ahmed.
Mamta Rakesh, wife of former cabinet minister Surendra Rakesh, is upbeat about winning for a third time, having won the 2015 by-election after the death of her husband and in 2017 assembly election. His brotherin-law Subodh Rakesh, who recently joined the BSP from the BJP, is contesting against her.