The Hindu : National : Friends-turned-foes to contest Pauri Lok Sabha by-election

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Friends-turned-foes to contest Pauri Lok Sabha by-election

Staff Correspondent

Congress likely to field Satpal Maharaj against BJP’s T.P.S. Rawat

DEHRA DUN: The Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee has recommended the name of former Union Minister Satpal Maharaj as the preferred candidate for the Pauri Lok Sabha seat where a by-election will be held on February 24.

The party high command will make a formal announcement in a few days, said the Congress spokesperson Surendra Kumar here on Tuesday.

The seat was vacated by Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri after he entered the Vidhan Sabha from the Dhumakot Assembly segment vacated for him by Congress strongman and former Minister T.P.S. Rawat. Gen. Rawat has been declared the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the Lok Sabha seat.

Both Mr. Satpal Maharaj and Gen. Rawat are close friends now turned political foes. They are going around the region exuding confidence about a win. Gen. Rawat was drafted into the Congress by Mr. Maharaj and then helped to become a minister in the Narayan Dutt Tiwari Cabinet six years ago.

Coalition partner Uttarakhand Kranti Dal is flexing its muscles to contest the election. The Nationalist Congress Party too has sent a few names to the high command for declaration of the party nominee. Both these parties have little say in the Pauri region.

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