Uttarakhand bypolls: With victories in Badrinath and Manglaur, Congress gets fresh chance to boost morale of its workers
Badrinath and Manglaur assembly by-polls in Uttarakhand, Congress has got a fresh chance to keep the morale of its workers high across the state. Following its defeat in the five Lok Sabha seats of the state in 2024 LS polls, Congress party was facing a tough task to revive its old bases in the hill state in view of the disappointment in its camp.
In the 2022 assembly polls, Congress had won Badrinath seat while BSP emerged victorious in Manglaur seat. The by-election to Manglaur seat was necessitated following the death of sitting BSP MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari. The Badrinath by-poll was necessitated because of the then Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Bhandari’s decision to resign from this seat and subsequently, join the BJP. Bhandari had left the Congress party just ahead of the 2024 LS polls.
So, congress party leaders worked out a concrete strategy to retain the Badrinath seat and teach a lesson to the turncoat Bhandari, who was BJP’s nominee from this seat in the by-poll. Badrinath assembly constituency is a part of Garhwal Lok Sabha seat which accommodates 14 seats. In the 2022 assembly poll, Congress could win only Badrinath assembly seat while BJP emerged victorious in 13 assembly seats of the Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency.
“Our victory in the Badrinath seat will certainly send out a very positive message among our party workers across the state. It will have a psychological impact in our favour. This victory was much awaited,” former Congress MLA from Kedarnath seat Manoj Rawat, who camped in Badsrinath seat,
