Although they stand for two different ideologies, it is a common objective that these two candidates share; “Revenge” for his father’s electoral defeat. Congress’s Anupama Rawat, daughter of former chief minister Harish Rawat, is contesting from Haridwar (Rural), and BJP’s Ritu Khanduri, whose father BC Khanduri was a sitting CM who lost to Congress in 2012, is contesting from Kotdwara. Huh.
While Anupama is the national general secretary of the Congress women’s wing, Ritu is the state party president of the BJP’s women’s wing.
Interestingly, Ritu has been fielded from Kotdwar, the same seat that her father BC Khanduri lost in 2012 in a close fight to the Congress as the incumbent chief minister. Ritu will be up against former Congress minister Surendra Negi, who won in 2012.
Ritu, an adjoining MLA from Yamkeshwar seat in Pauri Garhwal district, was dropped from the seat and has now been fielded from Kotdwar, which is considered a comparatively “tough seat” to win.
“I belong to a party which has a strong organizational network. I have worked as MLA and I am sure of winning Kotdwar,” she told News18. When asked if she is planning to “avenge” her father BC Khanduri’s defeat, she replied, “Why not? I have come here to emerge as a mass murderer.”
Anupama is active in Haridwar (Rural) since last seven years. In the 2017 elections, the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat contested from two seats, including Haridwar (Rural), which he lost to Swami Yatheeswaranand of the BJP, who is currently a minister in the Pushkar Dhami government.
“Congress never won from Haridwar (Rural). However, of late, voters realized that defeating my father (Harish Rawat) was a mistake. It is one of the backward constituencies in terms of development. I am sure the voters will choose the Congress this time,” says Anupama, relying on her father’s ‘fighter’ image.
How hard is the fight?
Haridwar (Rural) has about 50% Muslim, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe voters. In addition, hill voters also hold the key. Bahujan Samaj Party and BJP have won twice in the last four elections. There was polarization in this seat in the last two elections.
However, there are around 25,000 Muslim voters in Kotdwara. Moreover, a large number of Thakur voters dominate this seat. Ratan Aswal, a political activist from the area, said caste plays a big role in deciding the fate of a candidate, and a Brahmin candidate has never won a seat, including former chief minister BC Khanduri.
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