The rebellion within the Uttarakhand Congress last year has benefited the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2017 Assembly elections. Out of the 14 leaders who defected from the Congress to the BJP, and later got election tickets either for themselves or their kin, 12 have emerged winners. This contributed to the BJP’s tally of 56 out of the state’s 70 seats, giving it a significant victory over the incumbent Congress government.
The rebel leaders, led by former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna (pictured above), had left the Congress to join the BJP last year. The party even provided the former Congress leaders with tickets, much to the opposition of other state party members. Political analysts had considered this development unfavourable for the BJP. They were of the view that giving tickets to the Congress rebels might upset the voters, who were probably looking for a change from the government and the people who constituted it.
The BJP had consistently attacked the Uttarakhand Congress primarily on two grounds –
corruption and inadequate development measures. During the 2013 flash floods in the state, the BJP had severely criticised Bahuguna, who was chief minister at the time, for not carrying out adequate relief work. Bahuguna was forced to resign after the accusations.
However, the BJP then took them into the party, and it paid off. While Bahuguna did not contest from any seat himself, he got tickets for his younger son, Saurabh Bahuguna for the Sitarganj assembly constituency, a seat that Bahuguna had won in 2012. Saurabh Bahuguna won 50,597 votes and defeated Congress’ Malti Biswas.
Another senior leader, Yashpal Arya, who was considered the most prominent Dalit face of the Congress in Uttarakhand, joined the BJP earlier this year. He was given a ticket within two days of joining and his son Sanjeev Arya got one too. While Yashpal Arya contested from Bajpur and won 54,965 votes, his son won with 30,036 votes. Yashpal Arya had won from Bajpur in 2012 as well.
Spiritual leader and former Congress member Satpal Maharaj contested from Chaubattakhal for the BJP and won with 20,921 votes. Another former senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat joined the BJP after he revolted against the chief minister. He was locked in a battle with Congress candidate Surendra Singh Negi in the Kotdwar constituency. Harak Singh Rawat won with 39,859 votes, while Negi won 28,541 votes.
Kedar Rawat fielded from Yamunotri, Pradeep Batra from Roorkee, Kunwar Pranab Singh Champion from Khanpur were among the other rebel leaders who brought victory for the BJP.
The only two constituencies in which the Congress rebels lost were Jaspur and Kedarnath. BJP contestant Shailendra Mohan Singhal was beaten by Congress’ Adesh Singh Chauhan and BJP’s Shaila Rani Rawat lost to Manoj Rawat. In fact, in Kedarnath, the BJP stood fourth, after two other Independent leaders.
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