Aam Aadmi Party’s CM candidate Ajay Kauthiyal is contesting from the Gangotri constituency against BJP’s Suresh Singh Chauhan and Congress’s Vijaypal Singh Sajwan.
One of the key constituencies in Uttarakhand is that of Gangotri. This legislative assembly, for years, has witnessed a battle of sorts largely between the Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. However, in the 2022 Assembly Elections, the constituency is looking at a new challenge as Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial candidate, Col Ajay Kothiyal, has entered the fray.
In 2017, BJP's Gopal Singh Rawat handed over a humble defeat to Congress candidate Vijaypal Singh Sajwan by securing 25,683 votes. However, after Rawat’s demise last year, the seat has been vacant. This time BJP has fielded Suresh Singh Chauhan against Sajwan and Kothiyal.
The fate of nine candidates who entered into the poll fray from Gangotri in Uttarkashi district was sealed on February 14 when the state went into polls in a single-phase election, results of which will be declared later in the day.
While BJP is hoping to repeat the 2017 success story with its candidate Suresh Singh Chauhan, Congress’s Vijaypal Singh Sajwan is hopeful of the win too. However, it will be interesting to see if AAP's Col Ajay Kothiyal is able to beat BJP and Congress or not.
Total candidates in the fray: A total of nine candidates including Congress's Vijaypal Singh Sajwan, BJP's Suresh Singh Chauhan, AAP’s Col Ajay Kothiyal, and Samajwadi Party (SP)’s Vijay Bahuguna, among others have contested from the seat.
Election issues in 2022: Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, through its CM candidate Kothiyal, has announced a slew of promises including cheap electricity, filling up of government posts, upgrading schools on the lines of the Delhi model and hospitals. Congress is also fighting on the development plank. Under its Nyay scheme, the Grand Old Party has promised to give financial assistance to unemployed youths, LPG at the rate of Rs 500 and four lakh new jobs. BJP, on the other hand, has promised to save heritage by building more temples.
What do exit polls indicate? As per the exit polls, BJP may get a wafer-thing majority in 2022. According to the India TV-CNX report, BJP may get anywhere between 35-43 seats and its principal opposition Congress may get 24-32 while other parties may score a maximum of four seats. AAP, however, will get zero, as per the exit polls survey.
The vote share of BJP and Congress in 2017: In the 2017 assembly elections, out of 82,415 votes that were cast, 67.53 per cent of voter turnout was registered by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Of this, BJP got 25,683 (46.94%) vote share while Congress got 16,073 (29.37%).
Uttarakhand Election 2022: In the 2022 elections a total of 86,938 eligible electors are there in the Gangotri assembly, of which 44,658 are male and 42,279 are female voters. The voter turnout in 2022 was 66.54%.
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