The stage is set for a keen contest between the Congress and BJP in Uttarakhand. Over 75 lakh voters of the hill state will exercise their franchise in the Assembly elections on Wednesday, making a choice between the 'son of the soil' — incumbent Harish Rawat — and the election appeals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The campaigning for polls in Uttarakhand, which saw some intense electioneering from both the parties, had ended on Monday evening. The run-up to the elections saw both Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi holding rallies.
While the Congress is banking on the mass appeal of Rawat, projecting him as a CM face, the BJP has projected Modi as the face of its campaign. Rawat projected himself as a son of the soil, who was wronged by a power hungry Central government. On the other hand, the BJP, in its campaign, has focussed on alleged corruption in the Rawat government and has assured the people that since the BJP is in power at the Centre, it is better placed to solve their problems.
The Congress, weakened by the exit of several senior leaders, has placed the burden of seeing the party through the elections on Rawat's shoulders. However, the BJP, which has accommodated these leaders, is worried about rebellion from within — in reaction to ex-Congressmen being given tickets.
The saffron party, despite having five former chief ministers in its fold, has not been able to project anyone in this election. While it was felt that none of them matched the persona of Rawat, the BJP was also keen that infighting should not hamper its chances.
Both the parties have been beset with dissidence, dealing with the scenario of rebels contesting as independents. The state presidents of both the parties are grappling with party rebels in their respective constituencies.
An interesting contest is indeed on the cards in Uttarakhand.