23 segments set for clash of stalwarts

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 24

As many as 23 Assembly segments are set to witness clash of heavyweights from the Congress and the BJP in the Assembly elections slated for February 15.

On these seats, the reputation of a Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition, state Congress president, three-time winners and Cabinet ministers in the state government is at stake.

Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal has been pitted against BJP’s Subhash Pande from Jageshwar. Pande is expected to make things tough for Kunjwal, who is seeking re-election.

Above all, Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s decision to fight from the Kichha and Haridwar rural Assembly segments has raised the stakes on these two seats, which are with the BJP. In Kichha, Rawat will take on BJP sitting MLA Rajesh Shukla and in Haridwar rural, he will be facing sitting MLASwami Yateshwaranand.

Kotdwar is all set to witness an intense battle as the Congress has fielded Surinder Singh Negi against BJP candidate Harak Singh Rawat.

Similarly, on the Dharampur seat three-time MLA Dinesh Agarwal will take on Vinod Chamoli of the BJP.

In Haridwar city, three-time BJP legislator Madan Kaushik will try to win the seat for the fourth time in succession. BJP’s Madhu Chauhan will take on three-time Congress MLA and Cabinet minister Preetam Singh from Chakrata. She will have to fight all out to end Pritam Singh’s winning streak.

Yashpal Arya, now in the BJP, will have to repeat his performance in Bajpur. In 2012, he had won the Assembly poll on the Congress ticket. Congress candidate Mayukh Mahar wiil face BJP’s Prakash Pant from Pithoragarh. Another face-off is on cards between the two.

A veteran and former BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal too is seeking re-election from Didihat.

Equally, the Congress has fielded Shailendra Rawat, who was denied ticket by the BJP from Kotdwar, from Yamkeshwar against Ritu Khanduri of the BJP.

For the first time, BJP’s Satpal Maharaj is fighting the elections from Chaubattakhal. He is a two-time MP.

In Sahaspur, state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay will face a tough fighting against incumbent MLA Sahdev Pundir of the BJP. He is already facing revolt from Aryendra Sharma, who was overlooked by the Congress.

Further, a keen contest is in the offing on 11 Assembly seats where Congress rebels had won in the last Assembly elections. All these former Congress MLAs are in the BJP.