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Uttarakhand : Rebel candidates pose challenge to Congress, BJP |
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In Uttrakhand, both the main parties in the Assembly elections fray, the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP, are facing a tough time at the hands of rebel candidates. In nearly a dozen constituencies, the prospects of their official candidates are likely to be affected by the rebels of the two parties, either fighting as Independents or on the tickets of small parties.
Congress leaders led by Union Minister Suresh Pachauri, camping in Dehradun, to persuade Congress rebels to withdraw from the contest, have drawn a blank. Most Congress rebels have either joined other parties or are fighting as independent candidates for the upcoming polls on Feb. 21. Even the failure of the ruling Congress to reach an electoral alliance with the NCP may harm the party in at least a dozen seats.
Many BJP rebels are being fielded by Uma Bharti’s Bharatiya Janshakti Party. “We are contesting 46 seats out of the total 70 and 41 of our candidates were previously with the BJP,” said Nagendra Dutt Mishra, spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janshakti Party.
Many of the Congress leaders who enjoyed ministerial ranks in the Government were denied tickets. They are now in the fray as independents.
The BJP claimed that most party rebels have been persuaded not to contest. “Party discipline is very important and we could persuade many of them to desist from contesting against party nominees”, Ravi Shankar Prasad, party in-charge said. However, many like Harpal Sathi, a former MP, from Haridwar, and Malchand, a party legislator from Puroda, Uttrakashi district, who were denied tickets this time, are in the fray as independents.
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