By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 28 May: Usually, big leaders of national stature avoid participating in election campaigns in a bypoll in other states. However, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, contesting the bypoll for the assembly seat of Champawat in order to remain CM beyond the period of six months since taking over, managed to rope in the services of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to campaign for him. It is a small constituency and in the recent general assembly election, the seat was won by BJP candidate Kailash Gehtodi for the second time in a row, but having lost his own election from Khatima, Pushkar Singh Dhami perhaps wants no risk this time and wishes to leave no stone unturned. Therefore, on his appeal, Yogi Adityanath, who is hugely popular throughout the country, but particularly in Uttarakhand as he is a Uttarakhand native, agreed to come to Champawat district and today he along with Chief Minister Dhami participated in road shows and rally in Tanankpur.
It turned out to be a huge success as the road show and the rally attracted huge crowds in Tanakpur. On his part, Yogi made an emotional appeal to the voters. He said that it was an opportunity for Champawat to lead from the front in Uttarakhand’s growth journey, by electing not just an MLA but a chief minister. It may be recalled that tomorrow is the last day of campaigning and the assembly constituency goes to polling on 31 May. BJP’s Kailash Gehtodi, who had won from the Champawat constituency, had vacated his seat to make way for Dhami to contest the bypoll.
Yogi Adityanath said that it was for the first time since it became a district in 1997, Champawat now had an opportunity to elect a chief minister and not just an MLA. He appealed to the voters not to waste this opportunity and vote overwhelmingly in favour of the youthful leadership of Pushkar Singh Dhami, for the rapid development of the area. Adityanath also praised Gehtodi for vacating his seat for Dhami, saying it showed his farsightedness. Yogi further stated that under the young and energetic leadership of Dhami, all the state’s aspirations regarding employment generation and tourism development to its full potential would be fulfilled. Gehtodi and the state’s BJP president Madan Kaushik also joined Dhami and Adityanth at the roadshow in Tanakpur.
