New Delhi/Dehradun: The BJP on Thursday released its first list of 59 candidates for the 70-member assembly elections. Uttarakhand Assembly, with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to contest from his current constituency Khatima.
The party, which won 57 seats in 2017, has dropped 10 sitting MLAs, including Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, daughter of former chief minister BC Khanduri.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi said there are six women on the list, and added that the party will fight the elections on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Uttarakhand and the work of its state government.
In the list, 22 candidates are Thakurs, the highest caste in the state, 15 Brahmins, 13 Scheduled Castes and three from the business community.
State BJP President Madan Kaushik will again contest from Haridwar, while the names of ministers like Satpal Maharaj and Dhan Singh Rawat are also in the list, including Ramsharan Nautiyal, father of singer Jubin Nautiyal.
From Nainital, the party has fielded Sarita Arya, who quit the Congress a few days back.
The 11 seats for which the BJP did not name its candidates in the first list include Kotdwar and Doiwala.
Harak Singh Rawat, who was recently expelled from the BJP, represents Kotdwar as a former Chief Minister. Trivendra Singh Rawat One MLA from Doiwala.
The former chief minister has told the party that he does not want to contest the elections.
Joshi and BJP general secretary Arun Singh said the party would win again with a bigger mandate and claimed that the state saw development under its rule after facing “step-motherly” treatment during 10 years of the Congress-led UPA government.
Rail tracks were laid in the state, infrastructure of Char Dham was developed and Rs 10,000 crore was spent on construction of roads outside the ‘PM Gramin Sadak Yojana’, Joshi said of the works done in the last five years.
The party has also removed Mahesh Negi, the MLA from Dwarahat, accused of rape. Anil Shahi has been replaced in his place.
Yamkeshwar MLA Ritu Khanduri Bhushan has been dropped and Renu Bisht has fielded from the seat.
Other MLAs who failed to get a party ticket are Munni Devi from Tharali, Surendra Singh Negi from Karnaprayag, Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ from Khanpur, Mukesh Singh Koli from Pauri, Meena Gangola from Gangolihat, Balwant Singh Bhauryal from Kapkot and Raghunath Singh Chauhan from Almora.
MLA from Kashipur Harbhajan Singh Cheema has been replaced by his son Trilok Singh Cheema.
By removing controversial MLAs like Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ and Mahesh Negi, the party has sent a message that indiscipline will not be tolerated, and anti-incumbency against several MLAs at the local level may also be a reason for others to leave.
Independent MLAs Pritam Singh Panwar and Ram Singh Kaira, who joined the BJP last year, have been fielded from Dhanaulti and Bhimtal respectively.
Purola MLA Rajkumar, who had joined the saffron party last year, did not get a ticket from the seat as he has been replaced by Durgeshwar Lal, who joined the party on Thursday.
The ruling party has fielded Savita Kapoor, wife of late Harbans Kapoor, an eight-time MLA from the Cantonment constituency, from this seat, while gambling has been played on this seat. Suresh Chauhan in Gangotri. Gangotri MLA Gopal Singh Rawat passed away last year.
Kunwar Pranav Singh “Champion”‘s wife Kunvarani Devyani has been fielded from her husband’s seat Khanpur.
Kailash Sharma has been fielded from Almora in place of Raghunath Singh Chauhan, who represents this seat in the assembly.
State BJP vice-president Devendra Bhasin said the list was very balanced and the party would easily achieve its target of winning 60-plus seats because of the “winning potential” of the candidates.
Assembly elections will be held in the state on February 14.
The party, which won 57 seats in 2017, has dropped 10 sitting MLAs, including Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, daughter of former chief minister BC Khanduri.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi said there are six women on the list, and added that the party will fight the elections on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Uttarakhand and the work of its state government.
In the list, 22 candidates are Thakurs, the highest caste in the state, 15 Brahmins, 13 Scheduled Castes and three from the business community.
State BJP President Madan Kaushik will again contest from Haridwar, while the names of ministers like Satpal Maharaj and Dhan Singh Rawat are also in the list, including Ramsharan Nautiyal, father of singer Jubin Nautiyal.
From Nainital, the party has fielded Sarita Arya, who quit the Congress a few days back.
The 11 seats for which the BJP did not name its candidates in the first list include Kotdwar and Doiwala.
Harak Singh Rawat, who was recently expelled from the BJP, represents Kotdwar as a former Chief Minister. Trivendra Singh Rawat One MLA from Doiwala.
The former chief minister has told the party that he does not want to contest the elections.
Joshi and BJP general secretary Arun Singh said the party would win again with a bigger mandate and claimed that the state saw development under its rule after facing “step-motherly” treatment during 10 years of the Congress-led UPA government.
Rail tracks were laid in the state, infrastructure of Char Dham was developed and Rs 10,000 crore was spent on construction of roads outside the ‘PM Gramin Sadak Yojana’, Joshi said of the works done in the last five years.
The party has also removed Mahesh Negi, the MLA from Dwarahat, accused of rape. Anil Shahi has been replaced in his place.
Yamkeshwar MLA Ritu Khanduri Bhushan has been dropped and Renu Bisht has fielded from the seat.
Other MLAs who failed to get a party ticket are Munni Devi from Tharali, Surendra Singh Negi from Karnaprayag, Kunwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ from Khanpur, Mukesh Singh Koli from Pauri, Meena Gangola from Gangolihat, Balwant Singh Bhauryal from Kapkot and Raghunath Singh Chauhan from Almora.
MLA from Kashipur Harbhajan Singh Cheema has been replaced by his son Trilok Singh Cheema.
By removing controversial MLAs like Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ and Mahesh Negi, the party has sent a message that indiscipline will not be tolerated, and anti-incumbency against several MLAs at the local level may also be a reason for others to leave.
Independent MLAs Pritam Singh Panwar and Ram Singh Kaira, who joined the BJP last year, have been fielded from Dhanaulti and Bhimtal respectively.
Purola MLA Rajkumar, who had joined the saffron party last year, did not get a ticket from the seat as he has been replaced by Durgeshwar Lal, who joined the party on Thursday.
The ruling party has fielded Savita Kapoor, wife of late Harbans Kapoor, an eight-time MLA from the Cantonment constituency, from this seat, while gambling has been played on this seat. Suresh Chauhan in Gangotri. Gangotri MLA Gopal Singh Rawat passed away last year.
Kunwar Pranav Singh “Champion”‘s wife Kunvarani Devyani has been fielded from her husband’s seat Khanpur.
Kailash Sharma has been fielded from Almora in place of Raghunath Singh Chauhan, who represents this seat in the assembly.
State BJP vice-president Devendra Bhasin said the list was very balanced and the party would easily achieve its target of winning 60-plus seats because of the “winning potential” of the candidates.
Assembly elections will be held in the state on February 14.
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