New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming Uttarakhand Assembly election 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed confidence in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) once again rising to power under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
In a virtual address in Haridwar, PM Modi said, "We consider Uttarakhand as 'Devbhoomi' but they (Opposition) consider it as their ATM. The people of this state have decided that such people will not be given a chance in the upcoming elections."
Citing the Union Budget 2022, PM Modi took a jibe at Congress and said, "We've proposed a program to improve infrastructure in border villages. A party (Congress) that doesn't think about development, if it comes to power, the whole country knows what it'll do."
"Congress has committed the sin of throttling Uttarakhand's dreams. People won't forgive it," he further said, PTI reported.
He further said that the upcoming state election is a battle between "those who created Uttarakhand and those who conspired to block its creation."
Earlier today, Akshay Kumar, the Bollywood actor, has accepted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's proposition to serve as Uttarakhand's brand ambassador ahead of the Himalayan state's Assembly elections.
"We had given him (Akshay Kumar) a proposal, he has accepted it. He will also work as a brand ambassador of Uttarakhand," CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, as reported by ANI.
The BJP hopes to retake control in the 70-seat Uttarakhand Assembly. Dhami also tweeted a video of wrestler Babita Phogat endorsing the BJP government in the state a few days ago.
JP Nadda, the BJP's national president, went door-to-door in Uttarakhand on Sunday, asking residents to vote for the party in the state's 2022 elections.
"Addressed a public meeting in Gangotri, Uttarakhand. The report card of the work done by the BJP government for the empowerment of the poor, oppressed, underprivileged, downtrodden, and women in Uttarakhand is in front of you. The enthusiasm of the people here is telling that all of you have made up your mind to give your full blessings to the BJP," Nadda had tweeted.
Uttarakhand Assembly Election 2022 — Polling Date, Schedule & Counting Day
The schedule for the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly Election is mentioned below, as notified by the ECI.
- Issue of notification: January 21
- Last date of nomination: January 28
- Scrutiny of nomination: January 29
- Last date of withdrawal of nomination: January 31
- Date of election: February 14
- Results: March 10
Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly Election 2017
During the last state Assembly elections that took place in the year 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party registered its win over 57 out of the 70 assembly seats. Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat had lost one out of the two seats he contested.
Since 2017, this hill state has had three different chief ministers. Following the party’s victory in 2017, the BJP chose Trivendra Singh Rawat as the Chief Minister of the state on March 18, 2017. But, three years later on March 9, 2021, he stepped down from the post.
After him, Garhwal MP Tirath Singh Rawat was sworn in as the Chief Minister on March 10, 2021. Tirath was a Lok Sabha MP at that time and had to be elected in the state assembly within six months.
Since he could not get elected in the stipulated time, he had to resign from the cabinet on July 2, 2021. He was succeeded by Khatima MLA Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Congress was able to retain only 11 seats while independent candidates had bagged two seats in the 2017 Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly election.
(With Agencies Inputs)