NCP releases second list of candidates for Uttarakhand polls

Dehra Dun, Jan 29 (UNI) Nationalists Congress Party today released its second list of five candidates for the Uttarakhand Assembly election to be held on February 21.

Releasing the list, NCP State Chief Suryakant Dhasmana told mediapersons that Gaukar Singh Panwar has been selected to contest from the Yamunotri constituency, Dr Jeetram from Pinder, S S Bhilangwal from Badrinath, HariSingh Bisht from Nainital and Veer Singh Budera from Kedarnath.

Out these, three candidates -- Mr Jeetram, Mr Bhilangwal and Mr Bisht -- are Congress defectors, who recently joined the NCP after failing to get tickets from Congress.

The party had earlier released its first list of 14 candidates that included three Congress defectors taking the numbers to six.

Asked about the party's strategy to give tickets to candidates to other party defectors, Mr Dhasmana said the party aims to win the seats. However, it would allot tickets to Congress defectors owing to similarity in ideologies. '' Due to difference in party principles, we would not prefer to allot tickets to any other party defectors,'' he added.

UNI