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Khanduri sees a BJP sweep in Uttaranchal

By Our Staff Correspondent

DEHRA DUN, APRIL 13. The Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for election to the Lok Sabha from Pauri, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, today described statements by certain Congress leaders that Pauri was up for a battle between two generals as childish and without any understanding of the high discipline in the Army.

"The contest between me and the Uttaranchal Tourism Minister and Congress nominee, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) T.P.S. Rawat, is of two different political thoughts and ways of bringing about development to the constituency as well as the whole nation. The people can see my contribution to the development of the region over the past five years and vote for me if they are satisfied," Gen. Khanduri said.

Reeling out a long list of achievements scored by him or the Vajpayee-led NDA government, Gen. Khanduri said that visits to the interiors of the State indicated a clean sweep by the BJP in all the five constituencies across Uttaranchal.

The Uttaranchal Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Harish Rawat, at a different press conference today lashed out at the BJP-led Government at the Centre for having politicised all important organisations like the IB and CBI and using them for personal gains or harassing opposition parties.

A known Tiwari baiter, Harish Rawat, gave a clean chit to the functioning of the State Government saying that development works were going on at a war footing under the Chief Ministership of, Narain Dutt Tiwari.

He refused to comment on the large scale opposition by local party leaders and workers against the high command's decision to field, Deepak Kumar from the Hardwar constituency. "This issue is to be settled by Delhi and I cannot say anything," he said.

Mr. Rawat who has lost four consecutive times from the Almora seat expressed confidence that his wife and Congress candidate, Renuka Rawat, would win with a record number of votes. Ms. Renuka is pitted against the Union Minister and BJP nominee, Bachi Singh Rawat.

The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal senior leader, Kashi Singh Airi, is also in the fray making it a triangular contest. Mr. Airi is going about the constituency seeking a vote as only a regional and not a national party MP could crusade aggressively for the local demands.

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