In its first list of 59 candidates, the BJP has once again given preference to defectors of the Congress over its own workers in the state elections to be held on February 14.
According to the list released on Thursday, the party has chosen not only leaders who rebelled against the Harish Rawat government in 2016 but also those who had switched over to its camp in the last few days.
Such leaders include former state Mahila Congress president Sarita Arya and Durgeshwar Lal, who joined the party on Thursday, hours before the announcement of their first list of candidates.
Durgeshwar Lal is in the fray from Purola, while Arya will contest from Nainital – a seat he lost to BJP’s Sanjeev Arya in 2017. Sanjeev, son of Yashpal Arya, a prominent Dalit face of Kumaon, is now in Congress.
Most of the Congress defectors – many of whom were made ministers in 2017 – have been nominated from seats they represent in the state assembly. These include Satpal Maharaj from Chaubattakhal, Subodh Uniyal from Narendra Nagar, Pradeep Batra from Roorkee, Umesh Sharma Kau from Raipur and Rekha Arya from Someshwar.
Khanpur MLA Pranav Singh Champion – one of the 10 Congress defectors who joined the BJP in 2016 – may have been dropped from the list due to his controversial image, but the seat in the family has been chosen to fight alongside his wife Kunvarani Devyani. . instead of him. Some more defectors from the Congress are unlikely to be included in the party’s second list of 11 candidates to be announced soon.
This trend has disappointed a section of workers within the BJP. State BJP Secretary (Organisation) Balbir Ghunyal said that this demoralizes the dedicated workers of the party.
Ghunyal, who sought a ticket for himself from Tharali, said he has been trying for it since 2007, but was ignored in favor of Bhopal Ram Tamta, who left the Congress to join the BJP in 2018.
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