The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to secure a record second consecutive term in the hill state of Uttarakhand with a lead in 48 of the 70 Assembly seats that went to polls last month.
However, incumbent Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is trailing as is Congress’ Harish Rawat.The counting of votes in Uttarakhand, which voted on February 14, started at 8 am on Thursday. The state recorded a voter turnout of 59.51 per cent. In 2017, riding the Modi wave, the BJP managed to win 57 of the total 70 Assembly seats while the Congress won just 11.
However, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami lost by 6,951 votes from Khatima constituency to Congress’ Bhuwan Chandra Kapri. While Dhami polled 40,675 votes, Kapri bagged 47,626 votes.With 28,251 votes in kitty, Congress veteran Harish Rawat is also trailing by over 16,000 votes to his nearest BJP rival Mohan Singh Bisht (44,851) from Lalkuwa. Both Dhami and Rawat led the campaigns of their respective parties in the election.
However, the BJP’s return to power was clear and it was on its way to making history by winning two successive assembly elections in the state, formed 21 years ago. While the saffron camp so far managed to bag about 44 per cent of the votes, the Congress had a little over 38 per cent votes.
Meanwhile, the BJP may now find it difficult to put Dhami in the top office.The Congress had not declared Rawat as its chief ministerial candidate. Dhami, on other hand, was clearly the BJP’s CM face as the party was seeking a full five-year-term for the “young and dynamic” leader to deliver on the party’s grand vision for Uttarakhand’s development.
Dhami was the third BJP leader to head the state in the last five years, the two others being Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat.
