Uttarakhand polls: Tough call for BJP as Harak Singh Rawat eyes Kedarnath seat

DEHRADUN

: Forest minister Harak Singh Rawat, who has already hinted at shifting from his Kotdwar seat to another assembly constituency, seems to have taken his pick -- Kedarnath.

His recent statement has made the fight intense as a number of BJP members, too, are eying party ticket, with Shaila Rani Rawat – who contested on party symbol in 2017 – leading the race. Giving credence to the speculation, Harak on Thursday, said, “Am I from Pakistan or China that I cannot contest from any other seat in Uttarakhand? I am free to contest from any seat. It is up to the party to decide. No one called me an outsider when I got maximum work done in Rudraprayag, Kotdwar or Lansdowne.” Harak claimed he was instrumental in Rudraprayag being made a district. Since Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on November 9, 2000, Harak contested from Lansdowne in 2002 and 2007. In 2012, he shifted to Rudraprayag and then moved to Kotdwar in 2017.

He was successful in winning all four elections. For most part of his political journey, he has held key positions like minister and also leader of opposition.

“During the Kedarnath tragedy, I was involved in rescue efforts. I got chopper landed at locations where others could not have dared to. Was I an outsider? All the efforts were made with a selfless motive,” said Harak. On the other hand, Shaila Rani Rawat – who was among the 10 Congress MLAs to leave the party in 2016 – had contested on BJP ticket in 2017 but lost the seat. Despite losing the election, Shaila and her team remained active and once again she is among the frontrunners for party ticket.

“We have worked hard here in this constituency for the last five years. People here have faith in me and they want me to contest. If anyone else is given the ticket, I will consult my supporters for further course of action,” she said.

In the 2017 elections, Congress nominee Manoj Rawat got 13,096 votes and won the seat by 869 votes. He defeated independent candidate Kuldeep Singh Rawat while BJP nominee Shaila Rani Rawat finished fourth with 11,472 votes.