Pauri Garhwal election gains momentum. Two former defeated Congress candidates join BJP in Anil Baluni’s presence. Godiyal criticizes BJP for sending him IT notices.
The election campaigning has gained momentum in Pauri Garhwal constituency especially by the high profile BJP candidate Anil Baluni and the Congress nominee Ganesh Godiyal. The third entrant in the fray now is believed to be the brave fighter n potential candidate Ashutosh Negi who is on bail after being arrested on allegedly unsubstantiated charges under the SC ST Act termed by Negi as political vendetta as he is relentlessly fighting the Ankita Bhandari case becoming the direct target of the ruling party. This fight primarily between BJP and Congress n now Ashutosh giving it a triangular contest shape has become important as Pauri Garhwal constituency is always considered to be a hot seat contested by political stalwart Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna twice but rigged in 1984 and challenged by the latter winning it finally by 30 thousand votes thus Garhwal coming on the world map.
Anil Baluni the BJP candidate and national media incharge of the ruling party at the centre in on high spirits and ensuring that maximum defections from Congress to BJP take place and he is successful as well in his every attempt. Two days ago the sitting Badrinath MLA Rajendra Bhandari has joined BJP. A day before the former Congress candidate in 2022 assembly election from Tehri Dhan Singh Negi joined BJP under his leadership.
Today two Congress defeated candidates in 2022 assembly elections from Pauri and Chowbattakhal, Naval Kishore and Kesar Singh joined BJP in Anil Baluni’s presence in GARHWAL. Meanwhile, the Congress candidate from Pauri Garhwal constituency Ganesh Godiyal who was MLA from Srinagar twice and former state Congress chief has held a press conference to reveal that the BJP candidate has accepted his defeat , fearful of him therefore he has been served with income tax notices during elections.
Terming this action as unambiguously vindictive to demoralised the opposition candidate – vociferous Ganesh Godiyal said that the BJP in Pauri Garhwal is badly frightened of him and became desperate thus issuing Income tax notices to me. Ganesh Godiyal said that the IT notice has asked him to be present at the IT office at Thane, Maharashtra on 22 March with my wife n firm in connection with IT queries. He said that confronting its defeat the BJP is using the ED and IT to demoralise the opposition candidates. He said that they are trying their best to defeat me but the people of Pauri Garhwal will make me victorious said Godiyal .
Addressing the press conference Godiyal said that three IT notices were send to me on 19 March , my wife and in the name of my firm and asked to be present at Thane Maharashtra on 22 nd. He said he is the disciple of revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singhji and is ready to be hanged if need be but will never be bogged down and make compromises with principles and ethics.
