Congress to announce candidate for Bhagwanpur Assembly bypoll

DEHRADUN: The ruling Congress in Uttarakhand will announce its candidate for April 11 bypoll to Bhagwanpur Assembly seat in a day or two.
The seat fell vacant last month after the death of Cabinet minister Surendra Rakesh.

"Several probables are being considered for the seat right now. The PCC will send its recommendations to the party high command by tomorrow and then after a couple of days the candidate will be announced," Pradesh Congress President Kishore Upadhyay said.

The last date for filing nominations for the seat is March 24.

The names doing the rounds for the seat are the late MLA's younger brother Subodh Rakesh, Master Satpal who tried his luck in 2012 Assembly polls and former MP Satpal Sathi who weilds considerable political clout in the area which falls in Haridwar district.

Claiming that the Congress will emerge victorious from the seat, Upadhyay said the BSP which is supporting the Harish Rawat government in the state has decided not to field any candidate from the seat.

It was on a BSP ticket that Surendra Rakesh had won the seat in 2012 Assembly elections in the state.

If the Congress does register a victory from the seat the party's personal tally in the state Assembly will rise to 36, the halfway mark in the 70-member House.

It has 35 MLAs of its own in Uttarakhand Assembly at present and enjoys the support of seven member PDF of which Surendra Rakesh was a part.

Opposition BJP has 28 MLAs in the Assembly.