The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
BJP again targets hat-trick of clean sweeps, Cong adopts measured campaign strategy
BJP keeps focus on schemes, Modi factor, Cong on anti-incumbency
THE BJP is putting up a high-voltage campaign and the Congress seems to have taken a measured approach as the two parties prepare to battle it out in Ut tara khan d’ s five lo ks ab has eats that goto polls on april 19. thebjp swept the state in 2014 and 2019
While the BJP has run a campaignfeaturing rallies from its top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Mo di, national president JP Nadda,Utt ar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Congress seems to be taking a more measured approach with AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi being the only nationallevel leader addressing a rally since the announcement of polls.
The BJP is banking on the “Modi factor” and its recent legislative successes, including the passage of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill and the Ram Temple consecration, apart from welfare schemes and infrastructure.
“In accordance with Modiji’s target of 400 pa ar( above 400), our aim is not only to win all five seats but ensure a victory margin of five lakh votes in each,” said Anil Ba lu ni, the f or merbj pr ajy as ab ha MP and its Garhwal candidate.
In contrast, the Congress seems to be running a subdued campaign and is relying heavily on the probable anti-incumbency stemming from the Centre’s Agnipath scheme, the Ankita Bhandari murder case, unemploymentand the supreme court ruling on electoral bonds.
But over the past month, the Congress has seen significant defections including bad rina th ml a Rajendra Singh Bhandari, Manish Khanduri, son of former CM BC Khanduri, and Anukriti Gusain, daughter-in-law of senior leader Harak Rawat. Moreover, many close associates of Harish Rawat have also quit. the party is hoping Priyanka’s rally will infuse energy into its cadre in the final stretch.
Uttarakhand Congress’s chief spokesperson Garima Mehra Dasauni said the party was very much in the fight and would win all the seats in the state. “The soul of a lo ks ab ha election is the manifesto. While the BJP formed its manifesto committee only two weeks ago, we formed ours in December last year. We heard people’s expectations with the Bharat Jodo and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatras. We are moving ahead as per plans and the people are our star campaigners,” she said.
The BJP, which won all five seats in 2019, is looking to consolidate its base even as it faces a stiff challenge from the Congress in at least Haridwar and Garhwal where the party has fielded Vi rend ra raw at, son of former cm Harish Raw at and ex-state president gan es hgodiy al respectively.
Vi rend raw ill be up against formercm tr iv end ra sing hr a wat of the BJP from the seat which was won by former Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in 2019. Rawat, who is still seen as the congress’ s tall est leader in the state, is leaving no stone unturned as the polls not only serve as an opportunity for him to regain his political stature but also could pave the way for his son’ s successful foray into electoral politics. Such is his focus on ha rid war that on Friday, he apologised to fellow party leaders for not being able to campaign in other seats.
The senior Rawat’s aggressive push in Haridwar comes against the backdrop of his loss in the 2022 Assembly polls from Lalkuan to BJP first-timer Mohan Singh Bisht. In the 2017 Assembly polls, he lost both his seats — Haridwar Rural and Kichha. The former CM also tasted defeat in the last Lok Sabha polls from Nainital-udham Singh Nagar, where he lost to the BJP. On the other hand, Godiyal will be up against Baluni. The former state Congress chief is a two-time ml a. In the 2022 assembly polls, he lost to the BJP by a 587-vote margin. Former CM Tirath Singh Rawat of the BJP won the seat in 2019.
The BJP has fielded its sitting MPS from the remaining three seats. While Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah will take on the Congress’s two-time MLA Jot Singh Gunsola from Tehri Garhwal, Bhatt will take on the Congress’s former national secretary Prakash Joshi in Nainital-udham Singh Nagar. Almora will see a fight between the BJP’S Ajay Tamta and former Congress MP Pradeep Tamta.