Political shifts and preparations ahead of Uttarakhand Bypoll

Amidst recent political developments, Basant Kumar, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate who contested the 2022 Uttarakhand assembly election from Bageshwar seat, has joined the Congress party. This move comes as the region prepares for the upcoming bypoll on September 5. The shift in alliances follows the departure of the Congress candidate from the 2022 election, Ranjeet Das, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

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Changing Allegiances:

Basant Kumar, formerly associated with AAP, officially joined the Congress party. The decision was made in the presence of Karan Mahara, the Uttarakhand state president of the Congress party. This shift happened after Ranjeet Das switched his allegiance from Congress to BJP. His decision was announced in the presence of Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, and Mahendra Bhatt, the state party chief of BJP.

Vacant Seat and Background:

The Bageshwar assembly seat became vacant due to the unfortunate passing of its MLA and Cabinet minister, Chandan Ram Dass, on April 26. In the 2022 Assembly election, Chandan Ram Dass from BJP emerged victorious with 32,211 votes, while Ranjeet Das secured 20,070 votes, and Basant Kumar garnered 16,109 votes.

Candidate Selection and Speculation:

Both the BJP and Congress have submitted names to their respective high commands for the selection of candidates for the upcoming Bageshwar bypoll. The state BJP parliamentary board, including the chief minister and state chief, deliberated over seven names and eventually narrowed down to three, including Gaurav Dass, son of the late minister Chandan Ram Dass. Observers in political circles speculate that Gaurav Dass might find favor with the central leadership of BJP due to his father's history as a four-time MLA from the Bageshwar seat.

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Election Timeline:

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that the Bageshwar by-election will be conducted on September 5, with vote counting scheduled for September 8. As the political landscape in the region shifts and parties prepare their candidates, the bypoll's outcome will have significant implications for the representation of the Bageshwar constituency.