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RS polls: Ex-CM Bahuguna in list of 5 names for BJP’s Uttarakhand pick

The five names include former CM Vijay Bahuguna, party central headquarters secretary Mahendra Pandey, former MP Balraj Pasi, party’s state vice-president Anil Goyal and Naresh Bansal,

Vijay bahuguna, bjp national executive meet, bahuguna bjp, bjp national executive bahuguna, uttarakhand government, bahuguna in BJP, Congress, national news, india news, politics, bjp latest newsFormer CM Vijay Bahuguna (File)
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The BJP’s Uttarakhand unit has sent a list of five names to the central leadership to select a candidate for the Rajya Sabha election — for one seat — from the state.

The five names include former CM Vijay Bahuguna, party central headquarters secretary Mahendra Pandey, former MP Balraj Pasi, party’s state vice-president Anil Goyal and Naresh Bansal, vice-chairman of the state-level 20-point programme implementation committee who holds Cabinet rank. This was announced by BJP state president Bansi Dhar Bhagat on Saturday.

Election is due as the term of Congress MP Raj Babbar is set to expire on November 25, and October 27 is the last date for filing of nominations.

The nomination process has started but no candidate has filed nomination so far. The ruling BJP, which has 57 MLAs in the 71-member Assembly, can comfortably ensure the victory of its candidate and is expected to be the only party to field a candidate.

In May 2016, Bahuguna had joined BJP with eight other Congress leaders who had rebelled against the Harish Rawat government in March that year. The defection had led to President’s rule in Uttarakhand and the rebels were expelled by the Congress after Harish Rawat won a trust vote and returned as Chief Minister on May 11 that year.

When he was in the Congress, Bahuguna was expecting a Rajya Sabha ticket from Uttarakhand but the party picked Raj Babbar instead.

Balraj Pasi had defeated ND Tiwari in the 1991 Lok Sabha election in Nainital constituency and later held various organisational posts in the BJP.

My Express

Lalmani is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, and is based in New Delhi. He covers politics of the Hindi Heartland, tracking BJP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RLD and other parties based in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024; Assembly polls of 2012, 2017 and 2022 in UP along with government affairs in UP and Uttarakhand. ... Read More

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