Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Race for Nainital constituency ticket heats up in Congress and BJP
Two top contenders from the Congress, Mahendra Singh Pal and Hukum Singh Kunwar who held the Nainital Lok Sabha constituency on two occasions in the past, have already put forth their respective claim for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections before the party high command in New Delhi.
lok sabha elections Updated: Mar 13, 2019 15:54 ISTWith the announcement of dates for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the fight for tickets for the Nainital constituency, previously held by former Union defence KC Pant and former Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari, has heated up within the Congress and the BJP.
Two top contenders from the Congress, Mahendra Singh Pal and Hukum Singh Kunwar who held the seat on two occasions in the past, have already put forth their respective claim for the seat before the party high command in New Delhi.
“I met Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh who is in the core group of Congress,” said Kunwar. He pointed out that he had given tickets to KC Singh Baba and Mahendra Singh Pal in the past as the president of the Janata Dal.
“My claim for the seat is very strong as I have been in a powerful position in the Janata Dal. The party high command has assured me that they would enure justice”, said Kunwar.
However, former MP Mahendra Singh Pal said his claim on the seat was the strongest, adding that he enjoyed the support of former MP KC Singh Baba for the seat. “I have received positive indicators from the high command in Delhi after my talks,” he said.
Former chief minister Harish Rawat and leader of opposition Indira Hridyesh also figure in the panel of possible candidates sent to the party high command.
Though BJP intends to give tickets to five of its sitting MPs, there is no dearth of contenders putting up their claim before the party high command.
Apart from Nainital sitting MP Bhagat Singh Koshyari, other contenders from the party include Balraj Pasi who has won the seat in the past and Banshidhar Bhagat, a sitting MLA from Kaladhungi.
“I am a senior most person of the party and deserve to be an MP as it would enable me to serve people,” said Banshidhar.
Balraj Pasi, recently appointed the president of state watershed council, also staked claim owing to his experience as an MP from the constituency from 1991-1996.
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First Published: Mar 13, 2019 15:51 IST