Joshimath residents annoyed. Godiyal gets a tumultuous welcome. Ashutosh Negi doing his best and Anil Baluni campaigning extensively
In Uttarakhand the polling is on 19 th April and as per the polling schedule of the election commission this will be the first phase of polling in Uttarakhand and elsewhere.
The five Lok Sabha seats of Uttarakhand will go to polls on 19 th April with candidates of all the parties especially of Congress and BJP hectically involved in their campaign with the regional party of Uttarakhand, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal also in the fray with its two candidates one Ashutosh Negi in Pauri Garhwal constituency and another dashing leader Bobby Panwar strongly and impressively trying to give a three corner contest shape in these two constituencies at least.
However, the leader of the unemployed who was jailed on unemployment and cheating scam of UKSSC issues at Dehradun Bobby Panwar as was Ashutosh Negi also on unsubstantiated SCST Act, is giving a formidable fight to the BJP candidate Maharani Rajya Lakshmi of BJP in Tehri Garhwal constituency who isa sitting MP as well.
Having no dearth of funds, government machinery and the charismatic image of prime minister Narendra Modi with Ram Temple and UCC as the key issues on which the majority community votes seem to have been polarised in favour of BJP, it candidate Anil Baluni is leaving no stone unturned to extensively campaign in Garhwal constituency stretched from Badrinath to Dehradun , covering a vast area and population , the Congress candidate Ganesh Godiyal is also drawing good crowds wherever he is going this giving a very tough fight to Anil Baluni and blue eyed boy of PM Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
Anil Baluni is currently the national media in-charge of BJP stationed in New Delhi.
Today at Joshimath , a spiritual township known as the gateway to Badrinath, Lakshman temple and ancient famous Gurudwara where lakhs of devotees throng on every season to prostrate before the Lord Badrinath , the Congress candidate Ganesh Godiyal received a tumultuous welcome by hundreds of supporters of Congress, Communist party CPI ( ML) and the local populace with the Congress candidate marching with the enthusiastic crowd holding the Congress and Communist party flags in both the hands. Hundreds of people raising slogans hailing Ganesh Godiyal were raised in support of the Congress candidate with the secretary of CPI ( ML) Indresh Maikhuri also marching in the Padyatra with Godiyal.
The crowd was in such a good number that it looked as every person of Joshimath and surrounding villages have come in support of the Congress candidate to express their anger and annoyance against the ruling party.
Kindly recall that the inhabitants of Joshimath have been struggling for more than a year after the holy town suffered subsidence with more than one thousand houses not worth living having developed massive cracks posing danger to their existence including several hotels and commercial buildings.
The chief minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami had visited the natural disaster wrecked holy town and assured of their total rehabilitation and reconstruction of houses at new sites including giving them free ration and adequate financial compensation. Though the local administration tried its best as claimed by them to rehabilitate them but the affected populace weren’t satisfied holding protest demonstrations for several days led by the CPI ( ML) leader and himself a local residents Atul Sati.
The protestors also demanded the permanent closure of the NTPC project which according to them was the main reason behind the subsidence of Joshimath etc but of no avail as the committee that investigated the matter said that the NTPC project has no role to play in creating this problem of subsidence, thus giving a clean chit to them.
The people of Joshimath and the surrounding areas, villages are badly annoyed with the ruling political dispensation and seems to vote against the BJP candidate reveal sources.
However, the delivery of 5 Kg of ration to every villagers is the key factor that helped BJP get votes last time in the assembly elections.
In Pauri Garhwal constituency though the fight seems to be largely closeted between the BJP and Congress candidates but Ashutosh Negi of UKD is trying to visit every nook and corner of his constituency addressing them urging to vote for # Justice to Ankita Bhandari, credible land act of Uttarakhand, 1950 Mool Niwas Praman Patra and other local burning issues.
The BJP candidate Anil Baluni too is visiting his constituency acknowledging good reception but in one of the villages in Yamkeshwar village , he had adopted the electorates are annoyed with him complaining of no approachable road pledging not to vote this time saying that candidates seen vote in the name of Modiji but never come back thereafter.
The Congress candidate Ganesh Godiyal who was issued tax notices is also campaigning extensively with no money this time also pleading people to lend him a helping hand monetarily as Congress funds have been stopped by IT department issuing it with tax notices worth hundred of crores. He is asking for votes from his electorates in the name of Ankita Bhandari, on issues like. Local versus outsider , skyrocketing inflation , unfriendly development in Uttarakhand and misguiding people in the name of religion including several other burning local issues.
