In its first list of 64 candidates from Uttarakhand announced on Monday evening at New Delhi, the BJP has fielded the former Congress MLAs, or “ rebels” who denounced the Congress and joined the BJP last year, while putting the State under President's Rule.
While sticking to the constituencies from which they had registered a victory in the former State Assembly polls, “rebels” Pradeep Batra will be contesting from Roorkee, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion from Khanpur, Subodh Uniyal from Narendranagar, Rekha Arya from Someshwar (SC), Shailendra Mohan Singhal from Jaspur, Umesh Sharma (Kau) from Raipur, and Shaila Rani Rawat from Kedarnath.
However, former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, who also joined the BJP to protest against the Harish Rawat-led government in the State, had been asking for the candidature for his son Saurabh Bahuguna from the Sitarganj seat — and it was granted to him. The former Chief Minister, however, would not be contesting this time.
Another former Congress stalwart Harak Singh Rawat, who had led the rebellion against Mr. Harish Rawat, last year, would be contesting from the Kotdwar seat instead of Rudraprayag from where he won the last time.
Senior leader Satpal Maharaj, who left the Congress before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls to join the BJP, would be contesting from the Chaubattakhal seat. However, the situation of his wife Amrita Rawat, who was the sitting MLA from the Ramnagar seat, and had joined the “ rebels” last year, remains unclear as the candidature for six seats is yet to be declared by the BJP.
On Monday, senior Congress leader Yashpal Arya, a strong dalit face in the Congress, also joined the BJP along with his son Sanjeev Arya over speculations that the Congress was denying him a candidature for his son. Mr. Arya and his son would now be contesting as BJP candidates from the Bajpur (SC) and the Nainital (SC) seats, respectively. It is also being speculated that following Mr. Yashpal Arya’s footsteps, a few more dalit Congress leaders could join the BJP.
Former Congress leader Kedar Singh Rawat, who had also joined the BJP on Monday, was given the Yamunotri seat.
While the BJP pacified the former Congress rebels in its first list, the rebellion against the party’s decision has already begun. On Monday, Om Gopal Rawat of the BJP, who had lost to Congress “rebel” Mr. Uniyal in the Narendranagar seat by only 401 votes in the 2012 State Assembly polls and was expecting candidature from the BJP this year, declared that he would be contesting from the Narendranagar seat as an Independent.
Suresh Chand Jain from Roorkee is also expected to stand against the party’s decision of giving the candidature to a “rebel.”
Rebellion is expected from more BJP leaders in the coming days. Sources in the Congress said that Mr. Harish Rawat was planning to convince the BJP rebels to join the Congress ahead of the polls and contest for the Congress instead.
