Uttarakhand polls: BJP to release names for 11 seats soon, says Madan Kaushik

DEHRADUN: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will release its second list of poll candidates on the remaining 11 assembly seats very soon, state BJP president Madan Kaushik said on Friday. The ruling party, had on Thursday, announced candidates for 59 seats for the state assembly elections, scheduled to be held in a single phase on February 14.
“We are going to announce candidates on the remaining seats in a day or two as the names on a couple of seats are still under discussion,” said Kaushik, who has been fielded from his stronghold of Haridwar city.He added that BJP has given tickets to all deserving candidates and has maintained the right balance between youth leaders and experience. Sources in the party said that the BJP is in a dilemma over Doiwala and Kotdwar seats, currently represented by former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and former forest minister Harak Singh Rawat respectively.
While Trivendra Singh Rawat has informed the party about not wanting to contest elections, Harak Singh Rawat was expelled and joined Congress on Friday.
Speculations are rife that Colonel Vijay Rawat (retired), brother of late CDS General Bipin Rawat, may be fielded from either of the two seats--Doiwala or Kotdwar. It is also expected that former state Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay, who was stripped of all positions for 'anti-party activities' by Congress, may join BJP and get the poll ticket from Tehri constituency. When asked about Upadhyay's candidature, Manveer Singh Chauhan, BJPs media in-charge, said, “There is no confirmation on Kishore Upadhyay's induction into the party as of now.”