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Battlelines drawn for Nainital by-poll
Dehradun, Nov 28: Battlelines were drawn today between the ruling Congress and BJP for by-election to the presitigious Nainital Lok Sabha seat in which seven candidates were left in the fray after the last day of withdrawals.
Dehradun, Nov 28: Battlelines were drawn today between the ruling Congress and BJP for by-election to the presitigious Nainital Lok Sabha seat in which seven candidates were left in the fray after the last day of withdrawals.
The main contest for the December 12 by-poll is likely to be between Mahendra Pal Singh of Congress and Balraj Passi of BJP although the BSP has also fielded Subhash Sarkar.
No nominations were withdrawn on the last day, the returning officer said over phone adding that four nominations, including that of Samajwadi candidate Mohd Matin, were cancelled after scrutiny yesterday.
According to political observers the BSP may not pose a big challenge for the Nainital seat, which fell vacated with the election of chief minister N D Tiwari to the Uttaranchal state assembly in August.
Sarkar's presence might help BJP more than the Congress in the ensuing elections, they said explaining that while the Congress is banking on the hope that it could garner some of the Muslim votes in the absence of the Samajwadi Party, the BJP expects the Dalit and Muslim vote to get divided between the Congress and the BSP.
Passi had attained the reputation of giant killer when he defeated Tiwari in the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, which deprived Tiwari of a possible prime ministerial election.
Bureau Report
No nominations were withdrawn on the last day, the returning officer said over phone adding that four nominations, including that of Samajwadi candidate Mohd Matin, were cancelled after scrutiny yesterday.
According to political observers the BSP may not pose a big challenge for the Nainital seat, which fell vacated with the election of chief minister N D Tiwari to the Uttaranchal state assembly in August.
Sarkar's presence might help BJP more than the Congress in the ensuing elections, they said explaining that while the Congress is banking on the hope that it could garner some of the Muslim votes in the absence of the Samajwadi Party, the BJP expects the Dalit and Muslim vote to get divided between the Congress and the BSP.
Passi had attained the reputation of giant killer when he defeated Tiwari in the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, which deprived Tiwari of a possible prime ministerial election.
Bureau Report