Development again to be focus of Cong, BJP in Uttarakhand polls

New Delhi, Jan 7: The capital is abuzz with political activities regarding Uttarakhand after declaration of election dates in the hill state, as all the parties are busy devising their strategies on how best to use the twin issues of corruption and development to their advantage.

The state carved out of the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh in 2000 after a prolonged struggle by the people of the area protesting the neglect, will be witnessing its the second Assembly elections.

Main rivals ruling Congress and Opposition BJP, already out in the field in the state on a mass contact programmes, are holding close parleys with their state leaders here and would be bringing out their manifestos and finalising their lists of candidates soon.

The BSP and the UKD have also started similar exercises to chalk out their strategies.

The Samajwadi Party(SP), which was ruling Uttar Pradesh during the Uttarakhand Movement, and which had failed to win any seat in the last Assembly elections, will this time be contesting all the seats in the Terai region.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal, led by Mr Ajit Singh, son of former prime minister Chaudhry Charan Singh, which had not contested the last election will also be entering the fray this time.

The state will go to polls on February 21, as the term of the current Assembly is expiring on March 17.

The BJP had formed the government in the state when the Assembly was bifurcated at the time of creation of the state.

Dislodged from power by the Congress in the first Assembly election two years later, it had emerged as the second largest party in the Assembly, with 19 MLAs in the 70-member assembly against the Congress' 36.

The BSP had sprung a surprise by bagging seven seats, but the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), which had spearheaded the movement for the separate hill state, had to remain content with four seats.

The Independents had got three and the Nationalist Congress Party one.

The BJP had led in 49 Assembly constituencies in the last Lok Sabha elections.The party, which has already covered the whole state with its 'Parivartan Yatra'(Rallies for Change) says it will fight rival Congress on the issue of corruption and development.

The Congress will have to fight the anti-incumbency factor which will be double in impact because of the party being in power at the Centre too.

State Congress chief and a strong contender for the Chief Ministership Harish Rawat told UNI