By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 14 Aug: BJP has declared Parvati Das, the wife of the late Chandan Ramdas, as the party candidate for Assembly by-election from Bageshwar. Garhwal Post had already indicated that a family member of Chandan Ramdas was being considered to contest the by-election on behalf of the party.
According to party sources, there are two main reasons behind this. The first is an attempt to gain public sympathy for the wife of Chandan Ramdas. He had been continuously winning this constituency since 2007. The second reason is the personal popularity of the late Chandan Ramdas amongst his electorate. Ramdas never lost an election since 2007 and always won rather comfortably. Not only did he carry the image of being one of the most active MLAs in the state but was easily among the most approachable. His humble demeanour has been a huge asset for the party. This correspondent remembers meeting Chandan Ramdas regularly at the Secretariat since 2007 till he became a cabinet minister in 2022, as he was regularly visiting Secretaries, under secretaries and even the clerical officials to follow up the files and proposals regarding development projects in his constituency.
The party wishes to cash in on his popularity and the sentiment of sympathy for the bereaved family. Sources confirmed that, out of the three names that had been forwarded to the Central Parliamentary Board of the BJP for a final decision by the state Parliamentary Board, two names were from the family itself. Apart from Parvati, Chandan Ramdas’s son was also considered for the ticket, but the party finally decided to field Parvati Das. The party leaders also claim that Parvati Das has been keenly involved in social and political activities along with her late husband and is a known face among the electorate.
BJP has also declared its candidates for two other assembly by-polls, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. From the Ghosi seat in UP, Dara Singh Chauhan has been declared the party candidate, while from Puthupally in Kerala, Lijinlal G has been declared as the BJP candidate.
