THE ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sweeping the recently con¬cluded elections to the soon-to-be-formed District Planning Committees (DPCs) in Uttarakhand has clearly given the saffron bunch in the State a much-needed shot in the arm ahead of the Assembly elections due in 2012.
The BJP members of the urban and rural bodies won the elections to the proposed DPCs in 11 out of 13 districts in the State, results to which were declared on May 20. The party fared poorly only in Nainital and Uttarkashi.
The BJP leaders are visibly elated and see this as a good omen for the party’s prospects in the 2012 Assembly polls. “The way the BJP has fared in the DPC elections has definitely enthused our party workers,” said State BJP president Bishen Singh Chuphal while talking to Organiser.
“This coupled with the party’s excellent performance in the election to the soon-to-be-constituted DPCs, will certainly have a positive impact on our electoral prospects in the 2012 elections,” he added. This is its first win since the ruling BJP lost all the five Lok Sabha seats to its adversary Congress in Uttarakhand in 2009 general elections. It did win an election subse-quent to its “loss of face” in the Lok Sabha polls but that was just an Assembly by-election.
The ruling BJP sweeping the elections to the proposed DPCs clearly shows one thing in its (BJP) favour. That is, the party has been consistently maintaining its hold over the rural areas of Uttarakhand since it swept the 2008 local body and coopera¬tive elections. And that hold might strengthen further if the BJP government in Uttarakhand would allow the DPCs to work independently. To be constituted in compli¬ance with the 73rd Constit¬utional amendment so as to “devolve” more power to local bodies, the DPCs would be vest¬ed with powers to formulate dis-trict plans and also have these passed without interference.
From Dehradun Municipal Corporation, the BJP won all 12 seats. The party got one seat each from Rishikesh and Vikasnagar. Those candidates who won the district Panchayat committee elec¬tions are Anita Devi, Aabha Barthwal, Kamruddin, Godawari Thapli, Charu, Tauyaba, Punam, Pramal Singh, Malti Devi, Rakesh Singh Negi, Vinit Kumar, Virendra Singh, Shiv Prasad Devli, Surat Singh, Hema Purohit.
Those, who won the Dehradun Municipal Corporation election, are Amrita Singh, Uday Singh Chandel, Kamli Bhatt, Jitan Singh, Niraj Sethi, Babu Ram, Rajendra Rawat, Vipin Rana, Shail Tandon, In Nainital and Uttarkashi BJP would not be able to form DPC because party won six out of 21 seats in Nainital and 1 out of 13 seats in Uttarkashi. In Almora BJP won 17 out of 18 seats, Santokh Singh Nagpal, Sangita Kathaitt, Surendra Singh Rawat. Brij Pal Rana and Rajneesh Sethi bagged Rishikesh Municipality, Jasbeer Kaur, Rani Bansal got Mussoorie and Vikasnagar. in Pithoragarh BJP won 14 out of 16 seats and 13 out of 18 in Tehri.
