NEW DELHI: Despite their resounding loss in the recently concluded assembly elections earlier this year, senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Tuesday asserted that the people of the assembly will give a “befitting reply” to the BJP’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in the state, who is contesting from the Champawat assembly seat.
In an exclusive chat with The New Indian, the former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Rawat said, “Our candidate Nirmala Gahtori ji is very experienced and has handled several posts in the past. She was also the chairperson of the Social Welfare department and had worked very well.”
He said that she is also an AICC member and has a good hold among people.
The former Chief Minister also said that if women come forward to save the democracy then only victory can be ensured and it is the reason why she has been fielded from the seat. “And the people of Champawat will give chapat (befitting reply) to BJP in the by-polls,” he said.
When asked about the party’s preparations, the senior Congress leader said, “The preparations are in full swing and she (Nirmala Gahtori) will file her nomination papers on May 11. Even our workers are already campaigning for her in the assembly seat.”
The election in the Champawat assembly seat was necessitated after BJP MLA Kailash Gehtori resigned from the seat paving the way for Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to contest assembly by-polls.
Despite the BJP winning comfortably in the recently concluded assembly elections in Uttarakhand with a majority, Dhami lost the Khatima seat to Congress candidate Bhuwan Chandra Kapri.
On May 2, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the by-polls in three assembly constituencies in Odisha, Kerala and Uttarakhand. The polling in these seats will be held on May 31 while the counting of votes will take place on June 3.