Uttarakhand poll 2022: It's matter of prestige for ex-Congress CM Harish Rawat's daughter

Shubhaeep Choudhury

Pherupur (U’khand), Feb 10

Shahruq Ansary, a shop owner at Padartha village in Haridwar Rural constituency, says he will vote for BSP’s Mohammad Yunus when the state goes to the polls on Monday.

“Yunus is from my village. I feel he is the only choice,” the young man says with a shrug to explain his predicament.

The constituency, where Congress leader and former CM Harish Rawat’s daughter Anupama Rawat is locked in a battle with BJP’s Yatishwaranand, has strong pockets of Muslim voters. But Anupama may not benefit from their presence.

Five of the 10 candidates here are Muslims. Yunus and Samajwadi Party’s Sajuid Ali are considered the strongest. “The possibility of Muslim voters rallying behind Yunus cannot be ruled out. In this eventuality, Yatishwaranand will be the gainer,” says Anil Bisht, a local journalist.

Harish Rawat had lost to Yatishwaranand in 2017 by 12,278 votes.

“If Anupama emerges victorious, it will be seen as the daughter settling score with the BJP leader on behalf of her father,” Bisht says.

Talking to this reporter, Anupama, the first-timer, says, “It is indeed a prestige fight. It is also the fight to bring change. The BJP aspirant is not only a two-time MLA, but he is also a minister. Yet he ignored the constituency. The area was declared an upa-tehsil when the Congress was in power. It should have become a full tehsil by now.

“Our fight is on the issue of ‘Uttarkhandiat’. Nearly 70 per cent of jobs used to go to local people during the Congress regime. Now outsiders are grabbing the opportunities. Locals must have the first right over state’s resources.”