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National security adviser Ajit Doval’s son begins testing his political appeal for 2019

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Shaurya Doval of India Foundation had attended the Uttarakhand BJP state executive meeting last December, but insisted that he was not joining politics.

New Delhi: As hoardings of him spruce up across Pauri district in Uttarakhand, Shaurya Doval, son of national security adviser Ajit Doval, launched his ‘Bemisal Garhwal’ campaign last week, which many suggest may be the first indicator of a political debut ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“Bemisal Garhwal is a campaign that I have launched for the people of my area,” Doval told ThePrint over the phone, adding, “There is no political connotation and it should not be seen in any political context.”

“If people contest elections, then they should do political activities. This [Bemisal Garhwal] initiative is a social one for my people,” he said.

About his electoral debut, Doval said the decision was not his to take.

“The party will decide who the candidate will be, that’s not my job,” added Doval.

Doval’s Facebook page, which has over a lakh followers, says that he is not only the director of India Foundation, but also “a BJP leader from Uttarakhand”. The page, however, is not a verified account.

The moving force behind India Foundation, the BJP thinktank that consists of the who’s who in the country today – from BJP general secretary Ram Madhav and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman to former PDP finance minister Haseeb Drabu and commerce minister Suresh Prabhu – the younger Doval last week visited Pauri district and held a tree plantation drive, got in touch with many social organisations and talked with farmers in the district.

Bemisal Garhwal

‘Bemisal Garhwal’ is Doval’s project under his ‘Buland Uttarakhand’ drive, which aims at developing the district and enhancing the quality of people’s lives in the community.

“It is a social campaign, not a political campaign funded by any political party. It is an individual intervention. Many have contributed, like the Dharma Life Foundation. We also have a knowledge and medical partner,” he said.

He added that the campaign will focus on agriculture, child and women welfare, health, sports and farming in the region.

The Bemisal Garhwal project already has over 66,000 followers on Facebook and routinely posts updates about the area as well as of Doval’s tour of the region.

But politicians in Pauri have a different view

BJP MLA Mukesh Koli, who won the election last year from Pauri Garhwal district, said the people of the area are seeing the hoardings and Doval’s campaign as a sign of his wish to stand for the upcoming municipal elections.

“People are attracted to the posters because this is Ajit Doval’s son. They also assume that since Shaurya Doval has put up hoardings, it is an indication that he too is politically interested,” he said.

This, however, is not the first time that Shaurya Doval’s political ambitions have come to the fore. In 2017, when assembly polls were held in the state, Doval attended many BJP rallies and events in the district and Uttarakhand.

In December, Doval attended the Uttarakhand BJP state executive committee meeting in Haldwani district which raised many eyebrows. However, at the time, he had refuted claims of joining politics as well.

“My task is to run the India Foundation. I am not venturing into politics,” he was quoted as saying.

On social media, Doval recently praised several campaigns by the Narendra Modi government, and has also given speeches about the success of some of these schemes.

However, the opposition Congress party in the district is not overly worried about Doval’s hoardings and campaign.

“Shaurya Doval is backed by his father’s name, he has no political background. Anybody can put up hoardings, but work on the ground reveals who will win elections,” said Naval Kishor, the Congress candidate from the constituency.

Sources suggest the choice of the Pauri Garhwal seat itself is a sign of Doval’s future career as a politician.

Pauri Garhwal has given the country’s institutions some of its big names. Both Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath and Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat hail from the district. Army chief Bipin Rawat also belongs to the region, as does the Doval family.

The Pauri seat is currently held by Maj General B.C. Khanduri, who was the former CM of the state and has been ill of late.

Among his many hats, Shaurya Doval also wears the one of being co-head of Zeus Capital, a private equity firm specialising in infrastructure and real estate.

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