The role of small parties can also be important, Congress-BJP preparing for post-results in Uttarakhand
Before the counting of votes for the assembly elections on March 10, BJP and Congress veterans are already camping in Dehradun to exercise to form the government in Uttarakhand. Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who toppled Harish Rawat’s government in 2016 and led the Congress to revolt, has reached Dehradun. He held a joint meeting with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Trivendra Singh Rawat, State BJP President Madan Kaushik in Dehradun and discussed the BJP’s strategy to form the government after the election results. In this meeting, many top leaders including Union Minister and BJP’s central election in-charge Pralhad Joshi and BJP’s state organization minister were present.
At the same time, Congress has alleged that BJP is not coming to power, so Kailash Vijayvargiya, who specializes in sabotage and horse-trading of MLAs, has been sent to Dehradun by the BJP high command. Former Chief Minister Harish Rawat has returned to Dehradun after consulting the party high command in Delhi and is consulting Congress leaders on the strategy on how to cut the trap laid by Vijayvargiya.
At the same time, the Congress high command has sent Haryana Congress leader Deepender Hooda to Dehradun as an observer, who is discussing with the Congress leaders of the state about the upcoming strategy of the Congress after the election results. Harish Rawat has claimed that Congress is going to form government with absolute majority in the state. The public opinion will be in favor of Congress only. Whatever the pre-poll survey may say, he said the BJP has indirectly accepted its defeat by sending Kailash Vijayvargiya, who conspired to topple his government in 2016, to Dehradun and once again democracy is in danger in Uttarakhand.
Big leaders of Congress Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Mohan Prakash and Devendra Yadav are also reaching Dehradun. Congress Leader of Opposition Pritam Singh says that the people of the state have decided that the Congress government has to be formed by removing the BJP government and the party high command will decide who will be the chief minister of the Congress. BJP’s state election in-charge Central Pralhad Joshi said that we are getting full majority in this election. We will form the government. Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami said that we are getting full majority with the blessings of the people. On the other hand, Congress has been raising the issue of irregularities in postal ballot papers since voting.
In this context, Harish Rawat has raised the matter of investigation with the Central and State Election Commission by releasing a video of some soldiers voting. The Pithoragarh Police has also issued summons to some army personnel on this issue. Apart from this, Congress President Ganesh Godiyal and Pritam Singh have also expressed the apprehension of a big fake vote for sending ballot papers to many deceased and retired soldiers.
The role of small parties can also be important
There are 1 lakh 70 thousand postal voters in Uttarakhand. This time, the elderly and differently-abled people above 80 years were given the right to vote from home. There are 16 thousand 858 voters in the Voting from Home category. The Congress says that even under the guise of the convenience of voting from home, the BJP has cheated. Apart from this, the number of employed voters in the state is 94 thousand 471.
On March 10, if no party gets a clear majority, the BJP can create turmoil in the state politics by sabotaging the BSP, Ukrand and independent camps, including the main opposition Congress. According to the information received after voting on February 14, Bahujan Samaj Party, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and independent candidates can be expected to win 7 to 10 seats out of 70 assembly seats in the state. In such a situation, Congress and BJP may find it difficult to achieve the magic figure of 36 out of 60 to 65 seats.
Harish Rawat warned about Vijayvargiya
Political pundits say that if the Congress emerges as the largest party but stays away from the majority figure, then in such a situation every effort will be made to capture power on the formula of BJP’s Vijayvargiya, who broke the Congress foot in 2016. In such a situation, BJP has already started cultivating various parties and independent candidates who can win. BJP leader Mahendra Bhatt has heated up the political atmosphere by saying that many potential Congress MLAs are in touch with the BJP. Taking very seriously the arrival of BJP’s National General Secretary Vijayvargiya in Dehradun, former Chief Minister Harish Rawat has posted on social media that the arrival of an accomplished BJP leader of MLA buy campaign in Uttarakhand! Attention.
