UKD announces first list of 22 candidates for Assembly polls

Dehra Dun, Jan 8 (UNI) The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) has declared its first list of 22 candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttarakhand to be held on February 21.

The UKD, the only regional party in the fray, declared its first list of candidates late last evening after its Parliamentary Board meeting here. It has become the first political outfit to announce its candidates for the Assembly polls.

According to the party sources, the list of 22 included all the four sitting MLAs of the party.

UKD Central spokesperson Satish Semwal said all the four sitting MLAs would contest from their constituencies. They included Kashi Singh Airy from Kanalichhina, Narayan Singh Jantwal from Nainital, Pritam Singh Panwar from Yamunotri and Pushpesh Tripathy from Dwrahaat.

Besides, the list also includes Deevakar Bhatt who had splitted from the Airy group to form a parallel party UKD(D) and later merged his party with the parent one only after months of negotiations. He has been given party ticket from Devprayag.

Former Minister in the BJP Government Gyanchandra who joined UKD recently has also been given ticket from Dhanolti constituency.

There were two women and a minority candidate in the list.

Uttarakhand Kranti Dal which had spearheaded the movement for the separate hill state and won four seats in the last Assembly elections, however, received a set back when its state vice-president Major (Retd.) P C Sundal joined the Congress with his supporters, though party leaders maintained that this would not affect party's prospect in the forthcoming elections.

UNI