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Uttarakhand NCP chief joins Congress

DEHRA DUN: In fast moving developments, the Congress seemed to have gained some support here on Wednesday with the Nationalist Congress Party State president Suryakant Dhasmana joining it along with a number of his colleagues in the run-up to the Pauri Lok Sabha by-election.

The Congress has also roped in the former Commandant of the Indian Military Academy, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Gambhir Singh Negi, in a bid to counter the moves of Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri and the Bharatiya Janata Party nominee, Lt-Gen (Retd) T. P. S. Rawat. The Congress has fielded former Union Minister Satpal Maharaj for the upcoming by-election.

The Services factor is crucial in these parts with someone or the other from every second family in Uttarakhand working for or having retired from the defence forces. A retired Serviceman-turned-politician may help in garnering votes.

The Pauri Lok Sabha seat was vacated by the Chief Minister, himself a senior retired Army general, after he won the Dumakot Assembly seat vacated for him by Gen. Rawat – a Congress strongman and former Minister.

There are a little over ten lakh voters in the Pauri Lok Sabha constituency spread over Pauri, Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts and parts of Dehra Dun city.

Five lesser known individuals filed nominations besides the Congress and BJP nominees as nominations came to a close on Wednesday, said Assistant Chief Electoral Officer Jang Vijay Singh.

The last date for withdrawals is February 9 and polling is due on held on February 24.

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Uttarakhand NCP chief joins Congress

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