Third list of Congress released but candidates on Haridwar and Nainital seats still held up

The Congress party has declared its third list but there is no mention of the Congress candidates from Haridwar and Nainital seats despite the hard fact that in Uttarakhand the elections are due for 19 th April and process of nominations has already commenced from 20 th March and the last date is on 27 th March. The delay in declaring the candidates from Haridwar and Nainital seats has resulted in demoralisation in leaders and workers with many of them having shifted to other constituencies working for the already declared candidates. Moreover, the BJP candidates from Haridwar Trivendra Singh Rawat and Nainital candidate, the sitting MP Ajay Bhatt have already started their campaigns and are eliciting tremendous response. Not only this but the delay in declaring the tickets by Congress high command has resulted in BJP’s moral going high and electorates thinking that the Congress party has already accepted its defeat. Till date while the BJP has declared its candidates in all the five seats in Uttarakhand the Congress party has declared its candidates in only three seats with Haridwar seat and Nainital left out despite three lists being out. The BJP has fielded Anil Baluni from Pauri Garhwal, Maharani Rajya Lakshmi from Tehri Garhwal, Ajay Bhatt from Nainital, Ajay Tamata from Almora and Trivendra Rawat from Haridwar. The Congress has declared candidates from Pauri Garhwal namely Ganesh Godiyal, Jot Singh Gunsola from Tehri Garhwal and Pradeep Tamta from Almora Reserve seats. Kindly recall that the main reason from Haridwar and Nainital seats being held up is because the two towering leaders of Uttarakhand Congress Harish Rawat and Yashpal Arya are not ready to contest . Harish Rawat is asking ticket for his son Virendra Rawat who had been the Uttarakhand Youth Congress chief earlier and Yashpal Arya wants to campaign for all Congress candidates skipping from contesting from Nainital seat. There are other contenders too from Haridwar seat apart from Harish Rawat, viz Dr. Harak Singh Rawat and Khanpur MLA Umesh Kumar reveal sources but the primary choice of high command is for former CM Harish Rawat.