Garhwal Post Bureau
Haldwani, 31 Jul: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has faced a significant setback in the Kumaon division’s Nainital district, losing the highly contested Zila Panchayat seat 21, Ramdi-Ansingh (Paniyali). This seat, considered a matter of prestige for the BJP, was won by independent candidate Chhavi Bora Kandpal, who defeated the BJP’s incumbent Zila Panchayat Chairperson, Bela Tolia, in a closely fought contest.
Independent candidate Chhavi Bora Kandpal maintained her lead from the first round of counting, staying ahead of her closest rival, BJP’s Bela Tolia, until the final round. Following Chhavi Bora’s victory, her supporters were seen celebrating with much jubilation, marked by drums and festivities.
Interestingly, the victorious independent candidate, Chhavi Bora Kandpal, is married to a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Her husband, Pramod Bora, held the position of District Secretary in the BJP. He rebelled against the party in the Zila Panchayat elections, fielding his wife, Chhavi Bora, as an independent candidate, which ultimately led to her win.
Following his defiance against the BJP candidate by having his wife contest the election, the BJP had relieved Pramod Bora of his District Secretary post but retained his membership of the party. Independent victorious candidate Chhavi Kandpal was previously a professor at a women’s college in Haldwani, from where she resigned to contest elections for the first time.
After her victory, Chhavi Bora Kandpal stated that she decided to enter the electoral fray with a spirit of public service. She acknowledged the immense support from the public during her campaign, which she attributed to her success. She pledged to make every possible effort to fulfil the promises made to the public during the election. She also indicated her intention to join the race for the Zila Panchayat Chairperson in the coming time. Interestingly, Chhavi Bora Kandpal and her husband, Pramod Bora, have extended their gratitude to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for their win.
It may be reminded here that the BJP had deployed all its star campaigners for the electoral promotion of their candidate, the incumbent Zila Panchayat Chairperson Bela Tolia. This included seven-time MLA and former minister, MLA Banshidhar Bhagat, along with MP and former Union Minister Ajay Bhatt, and several other prominent BJP leaders who participated in the election campaign.
