By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Nainital, 14 Aug: Nainital district witnessed a day of intense political unrest as the Zila Panchayat and Block Pramukh elections in the district were marred by allegations of voters’ abduction, physical confrontations, and a firing incident in Betalghat amid the polling being held in midst of persistent rainfall here today.
The day began with a heated exchange of accusations and minor altercations between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over alleged voter kidnappings during the Nainital Zila Panchayat chairman elections. Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya claimed he was physically assaulted and shoved during the polling process. In a Facebook Live broadcast, Arya, joined by MLAs Sumit Hridayesh, Bhuvan Kapri, and former MLA Sanjeev Arya, accused BJP leaders of openly abducting Congress members. The Congress leaders further alleged that the police, in collusion with BJP functionaries, were attempting to replicate the political disorder reminiscent of Bihar. They specifically named BJP leader Deepa Darmwal and others, accusing them of manhandling Arya and other Congress representatives.
Videos capturing scuffles and confrontations at polling booths quickly went viral, intensifying the charged atmosphere. In response, BJP MLA Sarita Arya dismissed the allegations as entirely fabricated. Meanwhile, BJP leader Deepa Darmwal lodged a police complaint accusing Congress leaders of abducting voters, thereby turning the tables on the opposition.
The situation escalated further as Congress alleged that seven of its members had been kidnapped. MLA Sumit Hridayesh reiterated these claims in another Facebook Live session, during which he also used offensive language while criticising the police.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated but alarming development, a firing incident occurred during the block pramukh election in Betalghat, within Nainital district, causing widespread concern. A villager was injured in a firing incident just before the block pramukh election in Betalghat block of Nainital district. The injured villager was taken to Betalghat CHC. There was chaos in the area after the incident. Congress workers have alleged that the firing was done with the intention of disrupting the election process. Congress workers started raising slogans against the government.
The BJP meanwhile has dismissed the allegations as baseless. BJP state president Mahendra Bhatt said that Congress wants to create a violent atmosphere to disrupt peaceful voting in Nainital and this was seen today during the election of the District Panchayat President. He strongly condemned the incident and claimed that BJP workers were beaten up and hooliganism was done. The Leader of Opposition and the MLA there were creating such an atmosphere, and they ought to explain their behaviour. He also asked how senior party leaders got the certificates of 15 elected members, because these should have been in the hands of the voters.
Reacting to the allegations, BJP spokesperson Suresh Joshi dismissed the Congress’s claims as baseless and indicative of desperation. He asserted that the Congress, once seemingly confident of securing victories in both the Zila Panchayat and Block Pramukh elections, had effectively withdrawn from the contest even before the results were declared. Joshi reminded that the Congress had fielded candidates in only four out of the twelve Zila Panchayat seats and in merely seven of the eighty-nine block pramukh positions. He questioned the party’s commitment to the electoral process, noting that in most constituencies, the contest was primarily between BJP and independent candidates, with Congress conspicuously absent.
Joshi further contended that the Congress’s accusations of coercion were a reaction to being unsettled by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s development initiatives. He suggested that the party, anticipating a poor performance, had opted to withdraw and now resorted to making allegations from the sidelines.
At the same time, Congress held protests across the state this afternoon against the alleged abductions. In protest against the incident at Nainital District Panchayat headquarters, Congressmen burnt the effigy of the BJP government at Astley Hall Chowk and demonstrated fiercely. Congress spokesperson Mohan Kala said that the BJP government is adopting all kinds of tactics to win the election of the District Panchayat President post. He has termed it as the murder of democracy. He said that the scuffle with the Leader of Opposition in Nainital was condemnable. On the one hand, votes are being stolen in the country, on the other hand candidates are being stolen to win the election during the tenure of CM Pushkar Dhami.
State President, Mahila Congress, Jyoti Rautela fiercely attacked the BJP government. She claimed that to win the election, the BJP government is hatching various conspiracies against Congress leaders. He said that Congress strongly opposes this.
Congress workers gathered at Haridwar’s Kankhal Chowk Market and raised slogans against the BJP government. Congress leaders warned that the way the government is coming to power with the help of agencies would not be tolerated.
