Dehradun, May 29 (PTI) Campaigning for the Champawat assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand in which Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is locked in a straight contest with Congress’s Nirmala Gehtori drew to a close on Sunday.
The bypoll on which depends Dhami’s continuance in the top office is scheduled to be held on May 31. On the last day of campaigning on Sunday, the Uttarakhand chief minister held public meetings in Champawat and asked people to ensure that there is 100 per cent polling on the election day. Apart from other BJP leaders, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath rooted for Dhami in the last leg of campaigning on Saturday and appealed to people to vote overwhelmingly in favour of Dhami to ensure rapid development of the area. “For the first time after becoming a district in 1997, Champawat has got the opportunity of electing a chief minister, not just an MLA. It should not fritter away this opportunity,” he had said. Meanwhile, former chief minister Harish Rawat campaigned extensively for Congress’ Gahtori in the area and hoped that her grassroot image and direct connect with the electorate would help her reap the dividends. In the Uttarakhand Assembly polls held in February, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 47 out of a total of 70 assembly seats, but Dhami lost from Khatima — a seat he had won in 2012 and 2017 assembly polls. Though his party reposed faith in his leadership, making him the chief minister for a second term in a row, Dhami needs to fulfil the constitutional requirement of becoming a member of the House within six months of being sworn in as the chief minister.
PTI ALM SRY
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