Uttarakhand CM may contest from Dhumakot

New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri might contest from Dhumakot Assembly seat, state Health Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said here today.

The seat has fallen vacant following the resignaion of TPS Rawat, who recently joined the BJP, quitting the Congress.

Mr Nishank told UNI here that the decision about the seat for Maj Gen (retd) Khanduri would be taken by the Party's Parliamentary Board, but since the Dhumakot seat was vacant, it was most likely that he might be fielded from there.

When asked whether Mr Rawat could be nominated to contest from Garhwal Lok Sabha seat which had fallen vacant due to the resignation of Maj Gen (retd) Khanduri after he took over as Chief Minister, he said any decision about that was yet to be taken by the party's parliamentary board.

The BJP had secured victory in over 34 out of 70 seats in the Assembly elections held in February.

One seat, for which poll was held later, also went to the BJP, giving it a total of 35 seats.

If Maj Gen (retd) Khanduri wins from Dhumakot, the BJP will get an absolute majority in the Assembly, though at the moment, it enjoys the support of three Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and two Independent MLAs.

Replying to queries about his department, Mr Nishank said, mobile hospitals will start functioning in every district of the hill state within two months to provide medical care in remote places.

Moreover, he said, 861 doctors would soon be recuited to remove their shortage in government hospitals of the state.

The government was taking strong steps to ensure the presence of doctors in primary health centres and hospitals, he said.

UNI