Dehradun, Sep 3 (PTI) Campaigning came to an end on Sunday for the bypoll to Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar Assembly seat that fell vacant following the death of BJP MLA Chandan Ram Das.
Campaigning for the bypoll drew to a close at 5 pm, Bageshwar District Magistrate Anuradha Paul said.
Polling to the seat will be held on September 5 from 7 am onwards, she said.
Main contenders BJP and Congress, who are once again locked in a straight contest on the seat, tried hard during the fortnight long campaign to drum up support for their candidates with top party leaders from the state addressing several public meetings in the constituency over the last couple of weeks.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami addressed a public meeting in Kafligair to garner support for BJP nominee Parvati Das on the last day of campaigning on Sunday.
“Unlike other political parties, the BJP stands for development. Both the Centre and the state government are working together consistently for the development of Uttarakhand,” he said.
Dhami described Chandan Ram Das, whose death in April this year necessitated the bypoll, as someone who worked tirelessly for the development of Bageshwar constituency, and said voting for his wife will be a fitting tribute to the departed leader.
Dhami, who also held roadshows in Garud and Bageshwar on Saturday along with the party candidate and BJP MP from Almora Ajay Tamta, said he was confident the lotus (BJP’s election symbol) will bloom once again in the land of Baba Bagnath (Shiva).
Dedicated to Shiva, Bagnath temple is the most famous temple in Bageshwar district.
The ruling BJP is defending the seat which was won by Chandan Das in four consecutive elections since 2007.
By fielding his wife Parvati Das from the seat, the BJP hopes to capitalise on sympathy votes in the constituency, poll observers said.
The BJP has sought to woo the electorate with the promise of all round development of the constituency under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I am confident that the people will once again link the bogey of Bageshwar with the double engine government,” Dhami said addressing the rally.
Congress heavyweights like Harish Rawat, PCC president Karan Mahara and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Yashpal Arya had also been camping in Bageshwar for the past few days to garner support for party candidate Basant Kumar.
Kumar quit the Aam Aadmi Party to join the Congress just a few days before being declared as the party nominee from the seat.
He had contested the state assembly polls from the seat last year as an AAP candidate.
The Congress, which has been losing to the BJP in successive polls in Uttarakhand since 2017, is seeing an opportunity in the bypoll to end the prolonged dry spell.
The party leaders have asked the people to teach the BJP a lesson for its failure to control rising inflation, unemployment and ensure safety of women.
There are 1,18,225 voters in the Bageshwar assembly constituency spread over 188 polling stations who will vote on September 5 to decide the fate of five candidates in the fray including those of traditional rivals the BJP and Congress.
Besides Parvati Das and Basant Kumar, Bhagvati Prasad of the Samajwadi Party, Arjun Dev from Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and Bhagwat Kohli of Uttarakhand Parivartan Party are also contesting the bypoll. PTI ALM CK
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