BJP banking on Prime minister’s three public meetings to defeat Congress in Uttarakhand while Rahul to address two meetings in the last leg of campaigning
Only five days are left for polling in Uttarakhand keeping in view the campaigning being stopped 48 hours before 14 th February by election Commission.
The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party which seems to be on a defensive mode finding itself allegedly on a weak wicket due to dominating anti incumbency factor going against it there are speculations of three public meetings of prime minister Narendra Modi to be held on 10th , 11th or 12 th February in Uttarakhand after his two massive public meetings already held in Dehradun and Haldwani on December 4 and December 24 respectively. The prime minister is to address meetings at Srinagar, Almora and Rudrapur. Earlier on 8 th February the prime minister has from New Delhi addressed the electorates of Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar virtually lauding the mothers of Uttarakhand for dedicating their brave sons in the service of the nation by sending them in the Army. He also informed about his Shrinagar visit on 10 February and criticised the Congress party for constructing a university for minorities with directly referring Muslims but adding that this unambiguously reflects the attitude of appeasement of Congress to derive political benefits.
The prime minister had announced various new projects pertaining to establishment of second AIIMS at Haldwani and other over ambitious schemes including medical colleges etc worth 38 thousand crores in his two earlier massive public meetings.
Though the CM of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami is leaving no stone unturned to campaign extensively in various parts of Uttarakhand in favour of BJP candidates having announced more than 500 new projects worth crores of Rupees and also raising the issue of Muslim University to exploit the situation to the saffron party’s advantage apart from capitalising on squabbles within the Congress party etc several senior BJP leaders n union ministers are busy campaigning in Garhwal and Kumaun region with more emphasis in Kumaun region to counter Harish Rawat’s impact.
Meanwhile the Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in Mangalore Haridwar on February 10 and also visit Jageshwar in Kumaon in support of the Congress candidate impacting the adjoining constituencies as well. He will also pray at historic Jageshwar temple.
On Tuesday it was the hectic day for BJP with its two top leaders, union minister Rajnath Singh campaigning in Gangolighat and adjacent areas and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan going door to door in one of the markets distributing BJP pamphlets and meeting people embracing them eliciting votes in support of party candidates.
The issue of Muslim University is so dear to these leaders that while speaking to media Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh, instead on speaking on real issues talked on Congress party’s recent alleged announcement on setting up of a university for minorities after coming to power thus allegedly trying to polarise the majority community votes. While speaking to media – he asked what has happened to Congress? Do they want to put the nation on the fire of communalism he asked. He said that Atal Bihar Vajpayee accorded separate state status to Uttarakhand. Prime minister Narendra Modi is embellishing it. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami is taking it to new developmental heights. Our primary objective is Vikas, Vikas and Vikas. But the Congress party wanted to raise issues like setting up of a muslim university said Shivraj Singh. He further added : In Congress lot of crocodiles have come up. They don’t know what to say and what not added Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan. He said that Congress has no future in Uttarakhand as there is tremendous infighting inside the party with three claimants for CMs post viz Harish Rawat, who has always lost, the state president and the leader of the opposition said Chouhan. Therefore people will vote for BJP en masse and make it win by all means said the Madhya Pradesh chief minister.
However, despite top leaders, union ministers and chief Ministers visiting Uttarakhand, the party is still banking on prime minister Narendra Modi’s charisma to keep its rule intact in the hilly state say political analysts and this is the reason that they are planning to invite prime minister Narendra Modi to address three meetings on 10 th, 11 th or 12 th February unambiguously coming to the conclusion that it is only the PM and his charisma that can make it victorious at the hustings on 14 th February failing which it is bound to be doomed by all means.
Meanwhile, the chief election strategist of Uttarakhand and chairman of the state’s election committee Harish Rawat seems to be tied up in his constituency Lal Kuan attending various programmes eliciting vote n support from the people with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi having addressed only two meetings at Dehradun till date.
On the other hand in BJP several union ministers viz Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, CM MP Shivraj Singh, Anurag Thakur n Mr. Pradhan etc had held several meetings including party’s national chief J. P. Nadda holding meetings in Garhwal and Kumaun regions.
The recent surveys of various news channels have till now shown a neck to neck fight between BJP and Congress with AAP being distant third securing 3 to 5 seats being a new entrant in the fray.
