As the election date nearing Harish Rawat and Pushkar Singh Dhami to accelerate their campaign

Hardly three weeks are left for the polling in Uttarakhand and the campaigning seems to be half hearted due to the Covid 19 restrictions on large public meetings.

But during these proactive days of digital media, despite squeezed physical public meetings, the campaigning seems to have gained momentum with the candidates of both the parties after filing their nominations on 28th Jan, being the last date have become quite proactive, being active either door to door or holding close door meetings .

The Uttarakhand election has become triangular on some seats while in majority of the seats it seems to be a direct contest between Congress and BJP.

However, in politics nothing is predictable as to which party would win at the hustings after the results are declared on March 10.

In Uttarakhand both Congress and BJP have not officially declared their CM faces except AAM Admi Party declaring Ajay Kothiyal as it’s prospective CM, but BJP is projecting the good works of their incumbent CM youthful Pushkar Singh Dhami who has taken the state charge just seven months ago.

The prime minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah and the BJP national chief have in the recent past in their public meetings lauded the appreciable works being executed and implemented by him.

The Congress party has given Dhami the name of “Ghoshna mukhyamantri”, who has till now made more that five hundred announcements of various projects worth thousands of crores with prime minister making announcements worth 37.5 thousand crores in his two public meetings at Parade Ground and Haldwani.

The Union home minister Amit Shah and J. P. Nadda are already in Uttarakhand these days, one in Garhwal and another in Kumaon division.

The Uttarakhand Congress chief election strategist and chairman of the election campaign committee Harish Rawat had just yesterday filed nomination from Lal Kuan while Pushkar Singh Dhani is the candidate from his sitting seat Khatima, already held number of meetings and road shows with J. P. Nadda and central leaders been there earlier, including the National Highways and Roads minister Nitin Gadhkari making several road n highways, related announcements connecting Khatima with Mansarovar, to elicit the support of the electorates.

Yesterday Shah addressed meetings from Rudraprayag, Chamoli in Tharali assembly seat through Samvad programme, targetting Harish Rawat of running a corruption oriented government during his tenure allotting projects to people of his choice n henchmen and deriving political mileage etc. He also ridiculed him saying that after wandering for a safe seat he finally found it at Lalkuan, but now is the time to support youthful CM Pushkar Singh Dhami forgetting the old horses.

He asked people to support BJP and take Uttarakhand to new developmental heights under the dashing and dynamic youthful CM Pushkar Singh Dhami. Congress leader Harish Rawat had to change his Ram Nagar to Lal kuan due to oppostion of his old colleague Ranjit Singh n his supporters who too was later on shifted to Salt constituency.

Rawat is still in a fix as one of the ticket aspirant of Congress who was first alloted the seat , and then shunted out, Sandhya, Dalakoti has filed nomination from Lalkuan as independent hostile candidate, opposing Rawat. Due to this complication, Harish Rawat will have to devote much time in Lalkuan say sources. However, the former MLA from here veteran Congress leader and former minister Harish Durgapal has extended his support to Rawat despite not being given the ticket. This is a huge relief to Rawat say political analysts.

While Congress party’s prospective CM candidate Harish Rawat, though not officially announced and BJP CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, are both from Kumaon region contesting from Khatima and Lalkuan, they are are bound to affect their respective districts’ several constituencies.

While Harish Rawat’s candidature may impact the Kaladhoongi, Ram Nagar, Bhim Tal n other assembly constituencies, Pushkar Singh Dhami will impact Sitarganj, Nanakmatta, Kicha and other seats. While national leaders of BJP including HM Amit Shah and J. P. Nadda are quite active in Uttarakhand from Congress party except one meeting of Rahul Gandhi and a press conference if its national spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala yesterday at Dehradun, not national leader has been active with Priyanka Gandhi already stuck in Uttar Pradesh and Rahul in other state.

Moreover, since Harish Rawat will be stuck in his constituency and that of his daughter contesting from Haridwar Rural seat, the Congress party needs the support of various central leaders which unfortunately is missing with Harish Rawat singularly holding the party’s responsibility on his shoulders.

Moreover, former Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay has joined BJP and leaders like former minister and three term. MLA Shurvir Singh Sajwan is contesting as independent from Rishikesh badly exasperated for being completely sidelined.