Assembly Polls: Pushkar Singh Dhami to Harish Rawat, here are key candidates contesting Uttarakhand polls

The voting for the Uttarakhand Assembly Elections 2022 will take place in a single phase on February 14.

New Delhi: The voting for the Uttarakhand Assembly Elections 2022 will take place in a single phase on Monday (February 14). The votes will be counted on March 10. 

There are a total of 70 assembly constituencies in Uttarakhand. According to past trends, the main contest in the hilly state polls has always been between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but however, this year Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to dent the vote share. 

Here is a list of key candidates contesting in Uttarakhand Assembly Elections 2022:

Pushkar Singh Dhami, BJP 

Constituency: Khatima 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is all set to contest the 2022 Assembly polls from his current constituency, Khatima. Dhami took over the CM's baton from Tirath Singh Rawat in July last year. At 45, bagging the top job in the state, Dhami became the youngest Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. 

Dhami has earlier also worked as a political adviser to former CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari. It remains to be seen if this will be a hat-trick for Dhami from his home turf or there's an upset from the constituency. 

Harish Singh Rawat, Congress 

Constituency: Lalkuwa 

A five-time Member of Parliament, Rawat is a leader of the Indian National Congress. Harish Singh Rawat was Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2014 to 2017. Rawat also served as Union Minister of Water Resources in the cabinet of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from 2012 to 2014. 

Rawat kicked off his electoral innings with Congress in 1980. Rawat also served as President of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee in 2000.  

Yashpal Arya, Congress 

Constituency: Bajpur (SC)

Former Minister of Transport in Government of Uttarakhand and an Indian National Congress leader, Yashpal Arya is a prominent Dalit face in the Kumaon region of the hill state. A four-time MLA Yashpal Arya has served as a cabinet minister in the Vijay Bahuguna and Harish Rawat governments from 2012 to 2017. 

A political heavyweight, Yashpal was the Uttarakhand Congress chief between 2007 and 2014. Yashpal Arya has also been a two-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh. In his 40 year-long political life, Arya was elected from the Mukteshwar constituency in 2007 and Bajpur constituency in 2012 in Uttarakhand state assembly elections. 

Ramsharan Nautiyal, BJP 

Constituency: Chakrata 

This was a surprise move by the BJP when the party handed over a ticket to Ramsharan Nautiyal, father of popular Bollywood singer Jubin Nautiyal. Ramsharan joined BJP in 2014 after leaving the Congress party. 

In Chakrata, he has been pitted against Congress heavyweight Pritam Singh, who apart from being a popular leader is also the Leader of Opposition (CLP Leader Uttarakhand). While the road is not easy for Nautiyal, many believe he can give a tough fight to Pritam Singh. 

Satpal Maharaj, BJP  

Constituency: Chaubattkhal  

An MLA from Chaubattakhal, which is considered a safe seat for the BJP, Satpal Maharaj is a well-known, seasoned politician from Uttarakhand. But apart from his politics, he is also known for spirituality and is also a spiritual master.

Maharaj's political journey began from the Congress, a party with which he has had a long association. While his name came up for chief ministerial candidate several times, it didn't happen. In 2014, Satpal Maharaj bid adieu to the Congress and joined BJP. 

In 2017, he contested the elections from Chaubattakhal Assembly on a BJP ticket and won, after which he was made a Cabinet Minister in the BJP government of the state. 

Subodh Uniyal, BJP  

Constituency: Narendra Nagar  

Politician Subodh Uniyal is a member of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly from the Narendra Nagar constituency, which is located in Tehri Garhwal district.  

Uniyal's selection from his constituency created some tensions in the BJP camp. Om Gopal Rawat, who was a strong ticket contender for Narendra Nagar seat from where the BJP has once again fielded cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal, was clearly miffed. 

Uniyal, meanwhile, has been busy campaigning for his party. Visiting several villages like Badhani, Khanana, Niger, Kothi, Kansur, among others.