Arki: Caste plays key role

Ambika Sharma

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Congress candidate Sanjay Awasthy had won the Arki seat by defeating BJP candidate Rattan Pal by 3,219 votes in the 2019 Assembly byelections. The seat had fallen vacant following the death of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. The BJP faces a formidable challenge to wrest the seat from the Congress.

The constituency is plagued by a slew of problems like shrinking business for truckers who transport cement and clinkers, unchecked environmental pollution and a shortage of staff in colleges and health institutions. Truckers comprise a sizeable chunk of voters in the constituency.

The BJP is yet to announce its candidate for Arki though it is actively considering the names of Rattan Pal, former MLA Govind Ram Sharma and zila parishad members Asha Parihar and Amar Singh Thakur. Caste plays a key role in the constituency and the BJP is taking its time to choose a candidate who can give a tough fight to Sanjay Awasthy, a Brahmin.

If Congress rebel Rajinder Thakur contests the elections as an Independent candidate, he may queer the pitch for both main parties. The BJP’s choice of candidate is likely to have a bearing on the Congress performance in the forthcoming elections.

Past trend

Congress’ Dharam Pal Thakur won it in 1993, 1998 and 2003 and BJP’s Govind Ram Sharma in 2007 and 2012. Then CM Virbhadra Singh won the seat in 2017. Congress’ Sanjay Awasthy won the bypoll in 2019 after Virbhadra’s death.

Locals’ key demands

• New college buildings
• Adequate work for truckers
• Bus service in rural areas
• Staff in hospitals

Electorate strength

• Total voters: 95,609
• Male: 48,649
• Female: 46,960
• Third gender: 0