Dehra Dun, Jan 30: The ruling BJP on Friday risked its
razor-thin majority in the Uttarakhand assembly after it
decided to field two of its sitting MLAs for the next Lok
Sabha elections from the state.
The BJP parliamentary board yesterday decided to field
Ajay Tamta and Mandan Kaushik, MLAs from Someshwar and
Haridwar respectively, for the coming Lok Sabha elections. BJP
has to win back both the two legislature seats, if the MLAs
get elected to the Lok Sabha, in addition to vacant Kapkot
assembly seat (after Bhagat Singh Koshiari got elected to
Rajya Sabha) to retain a majority in the 70-member House.
While Tamta has been nominated from Almora reserved
constituency, Kaushik will contest from Haridwar Lok Sabha
seat.
The by-election for Kapkot legislature seat is likely to
be held along with the general elections.
"I cannot understand the logic behind sending three MLAs
to parliament when we have only a wafer-thin majority in the
House," a top BJP leader said while requesting anonymity.
At present, BJP has 35 members in the House with three
members of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and three other independents
lending their support to the government. In case, both Kaushik
and Tamta get elected to the Lok Sabha, BJP will have to rely
on the support of UKD and independents.
Surprisingly, by deciding to contest all the five Lok
Sabha seats in the hill state, BJP has sent a clear message to
its coalition partner UKD that it was not interested in any
tie-up with it. Too much will be riding on the by-elections if
UKD decides to withdraw support from the government.
Opposition Congress, meanwhile, is yet to declare its
candidates from the state.
Bureau Report
